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artery

Definition

An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Arteries are thick-walled and elastic, and they carry oxygen-rich blood to the body's tissues.

There are two main types of arteries:

  • Elastic arteries: These are the largest arteries in the body, and they carry blood from the heart to the smaller arteries.
  • Muscular arteries: These are the smaller arteries that carry blood to the body's tissues.
  • Arteries are important for transporting oxygen-rich blood to the body's tissues. When an artery is blocked, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.

How can the word be used?

The surgeon arterialised the graft by connecting it to an artery.

artery

Different forms of the word

Noun: artery (plural: arteries).

Adjective: arterial.

Adverb: arterially.

Verb: arterialise (to make something arterial).

Gerund: arterialising.

Participle: arterialised.

Etymology

The word artery comes from the Greek word ἀρτηρία (artēríā), which means "windpipe." This is because, in ancient times, it was believed that arteries carried air to the extremities of the body. The word ἀρτηρία is a compound word, consisting of the elements ἀήρ (aer), meaning "air," and τηρεῖν (terein), meaning "to keep.".

Question

Where can arteries be found?