Which vessels connect arterioles with venules?

Which vessels connect arterioles with venules?

• A. Arteries connect to capillaries
• B. Venules connect to veins
• C. Capillaries connect arterioles with venules
• D. Arteries connect to veins directly

Answer: (C)

Capillaries bridge the arterial side to the venous side. Blood flows from arteries into smaller arterioles, then into capillary beds where exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes with tissues occurs. From there, blood moves into venules, which drain into veins. Because capillaries lie between arterioles and venules and enable the essential exchange, they are the vessels that connect arterioles with venules. The other statements either describe different parts of the circulation or skip the crucial capillary intermediate.

Capillaries bridge the arterial side to the venous side. Blood flows from arteries into smaller arterioles, then into capillary beds where exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes with tissues occurs. From there, blood moves into venules, which drain into veins. Because capillaries lie between arterioles and venules and enable the essential exchange, they are the vessels that connect arterioles with venules. The other statements either describe different parts of the circulation or skip the crucial capillary intermediate.