Vein vs. Artery — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 1, 2023
Veins carry blood to the heart, usually deoxygenated, while arteries carry blood away from the heart, typically oxygenated.
Difference Between Vein and Artery
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions include the pulmonary and umbilical veins. Arteries, in contrast, transport blood away from the heart. They carry oxygenated blood to various parts of the body, with the exception of the pulmonary artery.
The structure of veins includes thinner walls and larger lumens compared to arteries. Veins often have valves to prevent backflow of blood, accommodating the lower pressure and assisting the return of blood to the heart. Arteries are characterized by thick, muscular, and elastic walls that help them withstand and regulate the pressure exerted by the heart's pumping action.
In terms of their functions, veins act as a reservoir for blood and control blood pressure by regulating the volume of blood returning to the heart. Arteries, given their robust structure, help maintain the pressure of the blood as it travels through the body and delivers essential nutrients and oxygen.
The blood in veins is usually darker due to the lower oxygen content, while arterial blood is bright red because of the high oxygen content. Clinically, veins are often used for intravenous injections and blood sampling, whereas arteries can be sites for measuring pulse and blood pressure.
When referencing veins and arteries in a non-medical context, veins can symbolize a distinctive quality or characteristic, and arteries can represent essential pathways or methods of distribution in a system.
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Comparison Chart
Direction of blood flow
Toward the heart
Away from the heart
Type of blood
Usually deoxygenated (except pulmonary)
Usually oxygenated (except pulmonary)
Wall structure
Thinner walls, less muscle
Thicker walls, more muscle
Presence of valves
Yes, to prevent backflow
No, not typically
Pressure
Lower pressure
Higher pressure
Compare with Definitions
Vein
A vessel carrying blood to the heart.
The nurse inserted a needle into the patient's vein for the IV.
Artery
A major route of transportation.
The new highway is the main artery into the city.
Vein
A layer of ore or mineral.
Miners discovered a rich vein of gold in the shaft.
Artery
A route for conveying something vital.
The river acted as an artery for trade.
Vein
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart.
Artery
A vessel carrying blood from the heart.
Surgeons bypassed the blocked artery.
Vein
Any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart.
Artery
An artery (plural arteries) (from Greek ἀρτηρία (artēríā) 'windpipe, artery') is a blood vessel that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pulmonary and the umbilical arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood to the organs that oxygenate it (lungs and placenta, respectively).
Vein
A fracture in rock containing a deposit of minerals or ore and typically having an extensive course underground
Gold-bearing quartz veins
Artery
Any of the muscular-walled tubes forming part of the circulation system by which blood (mainly that which has been oxygenated) is conveyed from the heart to all parts of the body.
Vein
A distinctive quality, style, or tendency
He closes his article in a somewhat humorous vein
Artery
An important route in a system of roads, rivers, or railway lines
George Street, main artery of Edinburgh's Golden Mile
Vein
(Anatomy) Any of the membranous tubes that form a branching system and carry blood to the heart from the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.
Artery
(Anatomy) Any of the muscular elastic tubes that form a branching system and that carry blood away from the heart to the cells, tissues, and organs of the body.
Vein
A blood vessel of any kind; a vein or artery
Felt the blood pounding in her veins.
Artery
A major route of transportation into which local routes flow
Traffic was heavy on the central artery.
Vein
Something that looks like a blood vessel, such as the hindgut of a shrimp.
Artery
(anatomy) Any of the muscular- and elastic-walled blood vessels forming part of the circulation system by which blood is conveyed away from the heart regardless of its oxygenation status; see pulmonary artery.
Vein
(Botany) One of the strands of vascular tissue that form the conducting and supporting framework in a leaf or other expanded plant organ. Also called nervure.
Artery
(transport) A major transit corridor in a system of roads, rivers, or railway lines.
Vein
(Zoology) One of the thickened cuticular ribs that form the supporting network of the wing of an insect and that often carry hemolymph. Also called nervure.
Artery
The trachea or windpipe.
Vein
(Geology) A regularly shaped and lengthy occurrence of an ore; a lode.
Artery
One of the vessels or tubes which carry either venous or arterial blood from the heart. They have tricker and more muscular walls than veins, and are connected with them by capillaries.
Vein
A long wavy strip of a different shade or color, as in wood or marble, or as mold in cheese.
Artery
Hence: Any continuous or ramified channel of communication; as, arteries of trade or commerce.
Vein
A fissure, crack, or cleft.
Artery
A blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body
Vein
A pervading character or quality; a streak
"All through the interminable narrative there ran a vein of impressive earnestness" (Mark Twain).
Artery
A major thoroughfare that bears important traffic
Vein
A transient attitude or mood.
Artery
A principal channel, route, or avenue.
Information flowed through the internet, a digital artery.
Vein
A particular turn of mind
Spoke later in a more serious vein.
Artery
A key structural element in an organization or system.
Communication is the artery of effective management.
Vein
To supply or fill with veins.
Vein
To mark or decorate with veins.
Vein
(anatomy) A blood vessel that transports blood from the capillaries back to the heart.
Vein
(in plural) The entrails of a shrimp.
Vein
(botany) In leaves, a thickened portion of the leaf containing the vascular bundle.
Vein
(zoology) The nervure of an insect’s wing.
Vein
A stripe or streak of a different colour or composition in materials such as wood, cheese, marble or other rocks.
Vein
(geology) A sheetlike body of crystallized minerals within a rock.
Vein
(figurative) A topic of discussion; a train of association, thoughts, emotions, etc.
In the same vein
Vein
(figurative) A style, tendency, or quality.
The play is in a satirical vein.
Vein
A fissure, cleft, or cavity, as in the earth or other substance.
Vein
To mark with veins or a vein-like pattern.
Vein
One of the vessels which carry blood, either venous or arterial, to the heart. See Artery, 2.
Vein
One of the similar branches of the framework of a leaf.
Vein
One of the ribs or nervures of the wings of insects. See Venation.
Vein
A narrow mass of rock intersecting other rocks, and filling inclined or vertical fissures not corresponding with the stratification; a lode; a dike; - often limited, in the language of miners, to a mineral vein or lode, that is, to a vein which contains useful minerals or ores.
Vein
A fissure, cleft, or cavity, as in the earth or other substance.
Let the glass of the prisms be free from veins.
Vein
A streak or wave of different color, appearing in wood, and in marble and other stones; variegation.
Vein
A train of associations, thoughts, emotions, or the like; a current; a course; as, reasoning in the same vein.
He can open a vein of true and noble thinking.
Vein
Peculiar temper or temperament; tendency or turn of mind; a particular disposition or cast of genius; humor; strain; quality; also, manner of speech or action; as, a rich vein of humor; a satirical vein.
Certain discoursing wits which are of the same veins.
Invoke the Muses, and improve my vein.
Vein
To form or mark with veins; to fill or cover with veins.
Vein
A blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart; all veins except the pulmonary carry unaerated blood
Vein
A distinctive style or manner;
He continued in this vein for several minutes
Vein
Any of the vascular bundles or ribs that form the branching framework of conducting and supporting tissues in a leaf or other plant organ
Vein
A layer of ore between layers of rock
Vein
One of the horny ribs that stiffen and support the wing of an insect
Vein
Make a veinlike pattern
Vein
A distinctive quality or character.
His speech had a vein of humor throughout.
Vein
A natural channel within a leaf or a wing.
Insects have a complex network of veins in their wings.
Vein
A state of mood or temperament.
She wrote the letter in an angry vein.
Common Curiosities
What is a vein?
A vein is a blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart.
Can veins become varicose?
Yes, when valves in veins become weak or damaged, they can become varicose.
Do veins carry oxygenated blood?
Typically no, except for the pulmonary and umbilical veins.
Why are veins blue?
Veins appear blue due to the way light penetrates the skin and is absorbed and reflected by the blood vessels.
Why are arteries not visible like veins?
Arteries are located deeper in the body and have thicker walls.
What is the largest vein in the body?
The vena cava is the largest vein in the body.
Can arteries get clogged?
Yes, arteries can get clogged, leading to cardiovascular diseases.
How are veins used medically?
Veins are often used for IV injections and blood sampling.
What is an artery?
An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
Do arteries carry deoxygenated blood?
Typically no, except for the pulmonary artery.
Are veins or arteries more elastic?
Arteries are more elastic to withstand the pressure from the heart.
Do veins have valves?
Yes, most veins have valves to prevent backflow.
What is the largest artery in the body?
The aorta is the largest artery in the body.
How do arteries affect blood pressure?
Arteries maintain and regulate blood pressure due to their muscular walls.
Are artery walls thicker than vein walls?
Yes, artery walls are thicker and more muscular than those of veins.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
