Elastic artery - wikipedia Elastic artery Elastic artery Details System Cardiovascular system Identifiers TH H3. 09.02. 0.01010 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) An elastic artery ( conducting artery or conduit artery ) is an artery with a large number of collagen and elastin filaments in the tunica media, which gives it the ability to stretch in response to each pulse. This elasticity also gives rise to the Windkessel effect, which helps to maintain a relatively constant pressure in the arteries despite the pulsating nature of the blood flow. Elastic arteries include the largest arteries in the body, those closest to the heart. They give rise to medium - sized vessels known as distributing arteries ( or muscular arteries ). The pulmonary arteries, the aorta, and its branches together comprise the body 's system of elastic arteries. Elastic arteries receive their own blood supply by the vasa vasorum unlike smaller blood vessels, which are supplied by diffusion References Jump up ^ Shadwick RE ( December 1999 ). `` Mechanical design in arteries ''. J. Exp. Biol. 202 ( Pt 23 ) : 3305 -- 13. PMID 10562513. External links Histology image : 05402loa -- Histology Learning System at Boston University Histology at usc.edu Arteries and veins Vessels Arteries Nutrient artery Arteriole Metarteriole Elastic artery Capillaries Types Continuous Fenestrated Sinusoidal Precapillary sphincter Precapillary resistance Veins Vena comitans Superficial vein Deep vein Emissary veins Venous plexus Venule Lymph Lymphatic vessel Lymph Lymph capillary Circulatory system Systemic Left heart → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → ( Right heart ) Pulmonary Right heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary vein → Left heart Microanatomy Microvessel Microcirculation Tunica intima Endothelium Internal elastic lamina Tunica media Tunica externa Vasa vasorum Vasa nervorum Vascular nerves Rete mirabile Circulatory anastomosis Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elastic_artery&oldid=827091918 '' Categories : Arteries Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties Talk About Wikipedia 日本 語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 22 February 2018, at 18 : 48. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what specific type of artery is found closest to the heart
Answer: elastic artery (conducting artery or conduit artery)