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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Heart, Circulation and Breathing

Capillary

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˈkæpəleri/nounCore term

In anatomy & physiology, capillary means: The smallest type of blood vessel, with a wall only one cell thick. Capillaries connect arteries to veins, and oxygen, nutrients and waste pass through their walls to and from the tissues.

In Turkish: kılcal damar, kapiller

How it is used

Physiology lectures discuss capillary exchange and capillary beds. In a clinical exam, capillary refill time is checked by pressing on a fingernail and counting how quickly the color returns. The plural is capillaries.

Example sentences

  1. In the lungs, gas exchange takes place across the walls of the capillaries around the alveoli.

  2. Capillary refill time was less than two seconds.

Common collocations

  • capillary bed
  • capillary wall
  • capillary exchange
  • capillary refill time
  • arteryA blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Most arteries carry oxygen-rich blood; the pulmonary arteries are the exception, taking blood low in oxygen to the lungs.
  • veinA blood vessel that carries blood back toward the heart. Most veins carry blood that is low in oxygen; the pulmonary veins are the exception, bringing oxygen-rich blood from the lungs.
  • alveolusOne of the millions of tiny air sacs at the ends of the airways in the lungs. Their thin walls are surrounded by capillaries, and this is where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
  • diffusionThe movement of particles from an area where they are more concentrated to an area where they are less concentrated, without the cell using energy. Oxygen enters the blood in the lungs this way.

More terms: Heart, Circulation and Breathing

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.