Question

Why are capillaries so thin?

Answer 1

Capillaries:

1. Our body is filled with tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
2. To the cells in our organs, they deliver blood, nutrients, and oxygen.
3. The walls of capillaries are extremely thin.
4. This property allows nutrients and oxygen to travel through the bloodstream and diffuse into the tissues.
5. As a result, waste materials can diffuse out of tissues into the bloodstream and be carried to the lungs, where they can be re-oxygenated.
6. In other words, capillaries with thin walls allow diffusion to occur.
7. As a result of the thinness of these walls, which are only one endothelial cell thick, diffusion is feasible.