Artery vs. Vein

Main Difference

There are several types of blood vessels which make up the transportation system in a living body. Veins, arteries, capillaries are such blood vessels through which blood transportation takes place, and the exchange of other materials also happens through this. These blood vessels are designated to transport specific blood within the body, means, they can be mainly differentiated on the basis of blood they transport that whether it is oxygenated blood or deoxygenated blood. The blood flow of arteries and veins revolves around the heart; they can be mainly differentiated as arteries are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body. On the other hand, veins are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.

Artery vs. Vein — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Artery and Vein

Artery vs. Vein

Arteries are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body, on the other hand, veins are the blood vessels in the blood circulatory system that transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.

Artery vs. Vein

Arteries have thicker walls than the veins.

Artery vs. Vein

With our naked eye, we can not locate the arteries in the body as they are located deeper in the skin, although we can locate the veins, which are present closer to the skin.

Artery vs. Vein

The vein is a capacitance vessel, whereas artery is a resistance vessel.

Arterynoun

An efferent blood vessel from the heart, conveying blood away from the heart regardless of oxygenation status; see pulmonary artery.

Veinnoun

(anatomy) A blood vessel that transports blood from the capillaries back to the heart

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Arterynoun

A major transit corridor.

Veinnoun

(used in plural veins) The entrails of a shrimp

Arterynoun

a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body

Veinnoun

(botany) In leaves, a thickened portion of the leaf containing the vascular bundle

Arterynoun

a major thoroughfare that bears important traffic

Veinnoun

(zoology) The nervure of an insect’s wing

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Veinnoun

A stripe or streak of a different colour or composition in materials such as wood, cheese, marble or other rocks

Veinnoun

A topic of discussion; a train of association, thoughts, emotions, etc.

...in the same vein...

Veinnoun

A style, tendency, or quality.

The play is in a satirical vein.

Veinnoun

A fissure, cleft, or cavity, as in the earth or other substance.

Veinverb

To mark with veins or a vein-like pattern.

Veinnoun

a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart; all veins except the pulmonary carry unaerated blood

Veinnoun

a distinctive style or manner;

he continued in this vein for several minutes

Veinnoun

any of the vascular bundles or ribs that form the branching framework of conducting and supporting tissues in a leaf or other plant organ

Veinnoun

a layer of ore between layers of rock

Veinnoun

one of the horny ribs that stiffen and support the wing of an insect

Veinverb

make a veinlike pattern

Comparison Chart

ArteryVein
Transports oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body.Transports deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart.
Types
Pulmonary arteries and systemic arteries.Superficial veins, deep veins, systematic veins, and pulmonary veins.
Thickness
MoreLess
Present
Deep in the skin.Closer to the Skin.

What is Artery?

Arteries are the thick elastic blood capillaries that are held responsible for the transportation of oxygenated blood from the heart to the various parts of the body. Arteries are mainly of two types, pulmonary arteries, and systemic arteries. The systematic arteries carry the oxygenated blood as it transports the blood from the heart to periphery, whereas pulmonary arteries are the arteries which carry deoxygenated blood as they further proceed to lungs for purification. The wall of the artery is composed of three layers. Therefore it is thick than the veins. With the extra thickness and elasticity in walls, arteries are designed in a manner that they can handle the high-pressure flow of the blood. The arteries, which generally carries the oxygenated blood from the heart, expect the pulmonary artery, gets further divide into smaller and thinner vessels called arterioles. Tunica Interna, tunica media, and tunica externia are the three layers which make up the wall of the arteries. Out of them all, tunica media is the thickest layer.

What is Vein?

Veins are the blood capillaries that are held responsible for the transportation of deoxygenated blood from the various parts of the body to the heart. The deoxygenated blood from the periphery is carried to the heart to get purified. Mainly there are four types of veins; superficial veins, deep veins, systematic veins and pulmonary veins. All of the three types of arteries transport the deoxygenated blood except the pulmonary vein, which carries the oxygenated blood. Veins have thin walls as compared to the arteries, and they are located closer to the skin. Their semilunar valves in veins prevent blood from flowing in the opposite direction. With our naked eye, we can not locate the arteries in the body as they are located deeper in the skin, although we can locate the veins, which are present closer to the skin. It can be further exemplified as the injections are either injected in mass or veins as the latter can be easily located than the other blood capillaries in the loving body.