Light microscopy of an artery (left) and vein (right). For comparable physical size the artery shows a far thicker wall compared with the vein. The arterial wall is comprised of smooth muscle and elastic fibres (black/indigo wavy lines) that serve to control blood pressure and flow via vessel constriction and relaxation/elastic recoil. In contrast,veins function as reservoirs holding blood with capacity for expansion and elasticity but limited contractile properties hence a scarcity of smooth muscle in the smaller-sized veins. Magnification x180 when printed at 10 cm | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Microscape |
Taille de l’image : | 4835 px × 3614 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |