A Metarteriole (or arterial capillary) is a short vessel(s) that link arterioles and capillaries. Instead of a continuous tunica media, they have individual muscle cells placed a short distance apart, each forming a precapillary sphincter that encircles the entrance to one capillary. Constriction of these sphincters reduces or shuts off blood flow through their respective capillaries and diverts blood to tissues or organs elsewhere.

[edit] External links

• metarteriole at eMedicine Dictionary
• Diagram at sci.sdsu.edu
• Histology at uni-mainz.de

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