Artery

An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body. With the exception of the pulmonary artery, arterial blood is more highly oxygenated then in venous blood.

Pressure in arteries is normally higher than in veins. Medical interventions using blood vessels for access usually prefer arteries, as lower-risk than arterial access, although certain procedures, such as arterial blood gas measurement, must be done in arteries.

In higher animals, the largest artery is the aorta, which divides into smaller arteries.