Artery: An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. It is part of the cardiovascular system. It has a thicker, more muscular wall than a vein to cope with the extra pressure from the force of the heart’s pumping. An artery is often named for the tissue, organ or area that it supplies with blood fresh from the heart – blood that is high in oxygen – or it may be given a traditional anatomical name. For example, the coronary arteries, that supply the heart itself with oxygen, are named because they go around the outside of the heart – ‘corona’ being Latin for a ‘garland’; like a garland of flowers worn around the head. When an artery is blocked or leaks, the tissue it supplies is in danger of being starved of oxygen, and dying.
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