WEBVTT

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So let's look a little more closely at arteries,

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the blood vessels

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that carry the oxygen rich blood

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away from the heart.

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The largest artery in the body is the aorta,

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measuring about an inch across,

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it connects to the left side of your heart,

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sort of near the top.

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Once it moves beyond the heart,

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it branches into some other well known arteries:

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running down the leg is the femoral artery.

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We've all heard of the carotid artery,

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that takes blood to the head and brain.

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The organs need blood too,

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so there is a branch to the kidneys

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called the renal artery.

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The celiac and mesenteric arteries

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bring blood to the digestive system,

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the stomach and intestines,

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and many more arterial branches

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to all parts of the body.

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It's an incredible piece of biological engineering,

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equal to any modern mass transit system

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in the world.

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Sitting on top of the heart again.

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This time on the right side of your heart

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is a very special artery.

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The Pulmonary artery.

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It immediately splits into two.

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Unlike the earlier arteries

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which carry oxygen rich blood,

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the pulmonary artery

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carries carbon dioxide rich,

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oxygen poor blood to the lungs.

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There is one more

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important group of arteries.

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Look at this beating heart.

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Remarkably, the heart supplies blood,

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nutrition, and oxygen to itself.

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This group of rather small arteries, seen here,

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are the coronary arteries.

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Their failure is the cause of most heart attacks.