The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia Encyclopedia World Factbook Columbia Gazetteer American Heritage Coll. Except for the pulmonary artery, which carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs, arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the tissues. Other important arteries are the subclavian and brachial arteries of the shoulder and arm, the carotid arteries that lead to the head, the coronary arteries that nourish the heart itself, and the iliac and femoral arteries of the abdomen and lower extremities.
Arterial walls expand and contract with each heartbeat, pumping blood throughout the body.
The pulsating movement of blood, or pulse , may be felt where the large arteries lie near the body surface. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Click here to shop the Bartleby Bookstore .