Menu

The main difference in structure between an artery and a vein (100X)

Microimage
Vein and artery. Image copyright: University of Oslo, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. (Tissue stain: H+E).

At 10X magnification, you now have the opportunity to compare the artery with the vein. What are the main difference in structure between an artery and a vein?

The layering in a vein is not as distinct as in an artery. But one finds the same three fundamental layers as in the artery. These are the

  • tunica adventitia
  • tunica media, and
  • tunica intima.

The vein also has a thinner wall and lacks the internal and external elastic lamina.

Published March 23rd 2023, updated April 7th 2023.