What is the function of a capillary?
What is the function of a capillary?
Capillaries are the smallest of all the blood vessel types. The diameter of a capillary is about 8 to 10 microns. This size allows the capillaries a single line of red blood cells through them. Hence, the flow of blood through the capillaries is called microcirculation. The wall of a capillary is made up of a single layer of endothelial cells. This feature allows the diffusion of molecules across the wall of the capillaries.
The thin vessels called arterioles divide to form capillaries that fuse to form venules. According to the degree of leakiness of these capillaries, they are classified as sinusoid, fenestrated, and continuous capillaries. A sinusoid capillary has an extended gap between the endothelial cells. A fenestrated capillary has pores in their endothelial lining while the continuous capillary has no gap between the endothelial cells of their wall.
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