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Glite Dictionary
arteriola

arteriola

9.6
A small artery with thin walls that leads to tiny blood vessels called capillaries
  • noun
  • /ˌɑːrtəˈriːlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteriola
  • Each arteriola eventually branches into a network of capillaries.

Examples

  • The narrowing of an arteriola can increase blood pressure in the surrounding tissue.

  • Inflammation sometimes affects the walls of an arteriola, leading to tissue damage.

  • The arteriola carries blood to the capillaries.

  • An arteriola is smaller than a typical artery.

  • Each arteriola eventually branches into a network of capillaries.

  • The narrowing of an arteriola can increase blood pressure in the surrounding tissue.

  • An arteriola is smaller than a typical artery.

Synonyms

arteriole
vsarteriola
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A small blood vessel that takes blood from an artery to capillaries

is specifically a thin walled small artery that leads to a single capillary
capillary artery
vsarteriola
  • Specialized
6.0

A very small thin blood vessel that carries blood into tiny vessels in the tissues

is the form that points to a single capillary rather than general circulation

How Small

capillary
  • Specialized
11 4.8
arteriola
  • Specialized
9.6
artery
  • Specialized
195 2.7

Surface Forms

arteriola singular
arteriolas plural

Morphology

arteriola = artery (transparent) = arteri + ola

Straightforward diminutive formation: 'artery' (arteri-) plus a diminutive suffix yields 'small artery'.

Etymology

Arteriola comes from the Latin arteria meaning 'artery' plus the small ending -ola meaning 'little', so it literally says 'little artery'. That's why an arteriola is a small thin-walled artery that leads to a capillary.