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blood vessel
A channel or conduit through which blood is distributed to body tissues. In humans, the blood vessels make up two closed systems of tubes that begin and end at the heart. One system, the pulmonary vessels, transports blood from the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium. The other system, the systemic vessels, carries blood from the left ventricle to the tissues in all parts of the body and then returns the blood to the right atrium. Based on their structure and function, blood vessels are classified as either arteries, capillaries, or veins.
Related entries
• varieties of blood
• circulatory system
Related category
• ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Source: National Cancer Institute
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