Lesson 3: The Vascular Highway (Vessels & Circulation)

Why do arteries have thick walls while capillaries are "leaky"? How does blood get from your toes back to your heart against gravity?

Artery, Vein, Capillary, Endothelium, Vasoconstriction, Vasodilation, Venous Valves.

HS-LS1-2 (Hierarchical Organization).

Analyzing the relationship between surface area and flow velocity in different vessel types.

Description: Comparing the "plumbing" of the body.

Purpose: To understand how vessel structure facilitates gas exchange.

DOK 2.

Varicose veins and the impact of long-term standing or sitting on circulation.

Arteries always carry oxygenated blood. (Correction: The Pulmonary Artery carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs)

Create "Vessel Cross-Sections" using different thicknesses of clay to visualize the muscular wall of an artery vs. a vein.

A comparative essay or poster explaining how the microscopic structure of a capillary allows for the macroscopic function of systemic gas exchange.

Microscope slides of vessel cross-sections, modeling clay