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Multiple Choice
Which blood vessels become progressively smaller and branch as they extend away from the heart?
A
Capillaries
B
Arteries
C
Venules
D
Veins
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Begin by understanding the structure and function of the circulatory system. The heart pumps blood into large vessels, which progressively branch into smaller vessels to distribute blood throughout the body.
Step 2: Recall the hierarchy of blood vessels. Arteries are the large vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart. They branch into smaller arteries and eventually into arterioles as they extend further from the heart.
Step 3: Understand the role of capillaries. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste occurs between blood and tissues. They are formed from the branching of arterioles.
Step 4: Compare arteries to veins and venules. Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart, and venules are small veins that collect blood from capillaries. These vessels do not branch progressively smaller as arteries do.
Step 5: Conclude that arteries are the blood vessels that become progressively smaller and branch as they extend away from the heart, leading to arterioles and then capillaries.