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Multiple Choice

Capillaries are known for having walls that are how many cells thick?

Capillaries are built for rapid exchange, so their walls are extremely thin—consisting of a single layer of endothelial cells lining the lumen, supported by a thin basement membrane. This one-cell-thick barrier minimizes the distance over which gases and nutrients must diffuse, allowing efficient transfer of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other substances between blood and tissues. Larger vessels have multiple tissue layers, but capillaries remain just one cell thick, which is why one layer is the correct description.

Capillaries are built for rapid exchange, so their walls are extremely thin—consisting of a single layer of endothelial cells lining the lumen, supported by a thin basement membrane. This one-cell-thick barrier minimizes the distance over which gases and nutrients must diffuse, allowing efficient transfer of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other substances between blood and tissues. Larger vessels have multiple tissue layers, but capillaries remain just one cell thick, which is why one layer is the correct description.