An elastic artery (conducting artery or conduit artery) is an
artery with many
collagen
Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole ...
and
elastin
Elastin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ELN'' gene. Elastin is a key component of the extracellular matrix in gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates). It is highly elastic and present in connective tissue allowing many tissues in the bod ...
filaments in the
tunica media, which gives it the ability to stretch in response to each pulse.
This elasticity also gives rise to the
Windkessel effect, which helps to maintain a relatively constant pressure in the arteries despite the pulsating nature of the blood flow. Elastic arteries include the largest arteries in the body, those closest to the heart. They give rise to medium-sized vessels known as
distributing arteries (or ''muscular arteries'').
The
pulmonary arteries, the
aorta, and its branches together comprise the body's system of elastic arteries.
Elastic arteries receive their own blood supply by the
vasa vasorum unlike smaller blood vessels, which are supplied by
diffusion.
Examples are: aorta, brachiocephalic, common carotids, subclavian, common iliac.
References
External links
*
Histology at usc.edu
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Arteries