Which term describes the smallest artery that delivers blood to capillaries?

Which term describes the smallest artery that delivers blood to capillaries?

• A. Arteriole
• B. Artery
• C. Capillary
• D. Vein

Answer: (A)

Blood flow to tissues is controlled as it moves from arteries into the microcirculation. The smallest arteries are called arterioles, and they sit right before the capillary beds. Their walls contain smooth muscle that can constrict or dilate, allowing precise regulation of both the amount of blood and the pressure directed into each capillary bed. This makes arterioles the key link between the larger arteries, which carry blood away from the heart, and the capillaries, which are the sites of exchange with tissues. Veins, on the other hand, return blood to the heart, and capillaries are the exchange vessels themselves. So the term for the smallest artery delivering blood to capillaries is arteriole.

Blood flow to tissues is controlled as it moves from arteries into the microcirculation. The smallest arteries are called arterioles, and they sit right before the capillary beds. Their walls contain smooth muscle that can constrict or dilate, allowing precise regulation of both the amount of blood and the pressure directed into each capillary bed. This makes arterioles the key link between the larger arteries, which carry blood away from the heart, and the capillaries, which are the sites of exchange with tissues. Veins, on the other hand, return blood to the heart, and capillaries are the exchange vessels themselves. So the term for the smallest artery delivering blood to capillaries is arteriole.