Elevate your medical career by mastering the CalRegional Medical Assistant Exam with our specially designed quizzes, flashcards, and hints that equip you for success. Dive into our study materials and gain confidence for exam day!

Multiple Choice

Which type of blood vessel has walls that are only one cell thick?

Capillaries have walls composed of a single layer of endothelial cells, just one cell thick. This ultra-thin barrier is what makes capillaries ideal for exchange: oxygen and nutrients can move from blood into surrounding tissues, while carbon dioxide and wastes move into the blood to be carried away. In contrast, arteries and veins have thicker, multi-layer walls to withstand pressure and regulate flow, and even small veins and venules are thicker than capillaries. So, the vessel whose walls are one cell thick is the capillary.

Capillaries have walls composed of a single layer of endothelial cells, just one cell thick. This ultra-thin barrier is what makes capillaries ideal for exchange: oxygen and nutrients can move from blood into surrounding tissues, while carbon dioxide and wastes move into the blood to be carried away. In contrast, arteries and veins have thicker, multi-layer walls to withstand pressure and regulate flow, and even small veins and venules are thicker than capillaries. So, the vessel whose walls are one cell thick is the capillary.