The
blood vessels are the part of the
circulatory system that transports
blood throughout the
human body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the
arteries, which carry the blood away from the
heart; the
capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the
tissues; and the
veins, which carry blood from the capillaries back toward the heart. The word
vascular, meaning relating to the blood vessels, is derived from the Latin
vas, meaning vessel.