Why do arteries have more elastic and muscular tissue than veins? A. arteries need to expand and contract as blood flows through them. B. arteries need carry a greater volume of blood than do veins. C. to ensure that blood flows only in the direction away from the heart. D. in order to support the larger diameter of arteries compared to veins.
Option A. Arteries distend to accept the volume of blood pumped into them, then elastically draw back to help blood go with the flow at some stage in diastole. The capacity to contract allows arteries to direct blood away from tissues that require much less blood. Arteries include less quantity than veins; the heart ensures forward flow veins have a larger diameter than arteries.
