• Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Colin Davis
  
  

Function

• The arteries carry blood, which has been enriched with oxygen from the lungs, out to all of the body's tissues and organs.
  
  

Structure

• Arteries have a tough outer surface, a muscular central portion and an interior portion made of epithelial cells, which are tightly packed cells that line body surfaces.
  
  

Pumping Action

• In addition to being a space for blood to move through, arteries help the heart move blood. The muscular portion of an artery expands and contracts to push blood through the system.
  
  

Pulse

• The pumping action of the arteries keeps time with the beating of heart, which is why you can take your pulse from arteries in your wrist or neck.
  
  

Atherosclerosis

• Atherosclerosis, a disease that affects arterial health, is characterized by the buildup of fat or calcium deposits, called plaques, on the arterial wall, obstructing blood flow.