This section is an introduction to the structure of veins and arteries and the names and locations of some of the major arteries and veins in the human body. Arteries and veins don't just extend out and then stop, they are interconnected. The largest artery in the body, the aorta, exits the left side of the heart to provide nutrient-rich blood to the rest of the body via arteries.
Arteries give rise to arterioles, which give rise to smaller capillaries.
Arterial capillaries branch into a smaller capillary network that anastamose to venous capillaries. These capillaries then converge together to form venules which converge to form veins. Venous blood contains wastes that need excretion via the lungs and kidneys. Figure 2 jumps us right into the major arteries of the upper body. Ascending aorta Note that the names of many of the arteries are based upon their locations in the body.