Answer
Fig. 20.8
Veins have less muscular and elastic tissues than arteries. Therefore, veins expand easily and are able to accommodate comparatively large amounts of blood
Work Step by Step
Veins are described as capacitance vessels. In a resting adult, veins contain about 64% of the total blood volume. Being distant from the left ventricle, veins are not subject to the high pressures generated by ventricular contraction. Therefore, they do not require thick walls to withstand great pressures.
The blood pressure in veins is an average 10 mmHg while arterial blood pressure range is 90-100 mmHg. The thin flexible walls of veins enable them to expand easily and to accommodate comparatively large amounts of blood.
