Paper 3 · November 2023 · Transport and Gas Exchange
The wall of an artery contains a thick tunica media mainly because it needs to
Awithstand and smooth out the high pressure pulses generated by the heart.
Ballow valves to form at regular intervals along its length.
Cincrease the width of the lumen so as to reduce the blood pressure carried within the vessel.
Dprevent any elastic recoil from occurring between heartbeats.
Explanation
The thick layer of smooth muscle and elastic fibres in an artery's tunica media resists the high, pulsing pressure from the heart, and its elastic recoil helps keep blood moving between beats.
Derived from ZIMSEC Biology 6030/3 Paper 3, November 2023, Q7