Vessels that carry blood away from the heart and are named by the organs they supply (for example, renal arteries) are called which type of vessels?

• A. Elastic arteries
• B. Muscular arteries
• C. Veins
• D. Capillaries

Answer: (B)

Muscular arteries are the vessels that carry blood away from the heart and are named for the organs they supply. They’re the distribution vessels, with a thicker tunica media rich in smooth muscle, which lets them constrict or dilate to regulate blood flow to specific organs. Because they supply particular organs, their names reflect the organ they serve—such as arteries that go to the kidneys or to the intestines. This contrasts with elastic arteries, which are near the heart and help absorb pulse pressure with many elastic fibers, veins that carry blood back toward the heart, and capillaries, which are the tiny exchange vessels.