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An artery larger than 10 mm in diameter is typically classified as which type?
AElastic arteries, also called conducting arteries
BMuscular arteries, also called resistance arteries
CMetarterioles, also called precapillary vessels
DArterioles, also called distributing arteries
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Elastic arteries, also called conducting arteries
1. Arteries closest to the heart hold a high percentage of elastic fibers in all three tunics.
2. Vessels wider than 10 mm in diameter are typically elastic arteries.
3. Their wide lumen accepts a large volume from the heart and conducts it onward, so they are also called conducting arteries.
4. Muscular arteries are the distributing vessels, and arterioles are the resistance vessels, so those pairings are swapped in the wrong options.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 20 "The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Circulation", section 20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels_
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