What Are The Types Of Veins?

Superficial Veins

Superficial veins are a type of smaller vein in the body. They are distant from corresponding arteries and closer to the skin surface. Superficial veins differ from the deep veins because they are not directly paired with any of the arteries nearby. The superficial veins are typically located in the fatty layer that sits under the skin. The superficial veins not only deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin tissues and the tissues underneath it, but they also have a critical physiological function. When an individual's body becomes too hot, blood is forced from their deep veins to the superficial veins to expedite the process of heat transfer from the blood to the skin in the form of sweat. Superficial veins can often be seen under the skin as blue or green in fair-skinned individuals and dark red or purple in olive skin tones. Blood moves slower in the superficial veins because even though they contain one-way valves, they are not surrounded by muscular tissue that helps push the blood at a faster rate the same way deep veins are.

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Deep Veins

Deep veins vary in size and supply deep layers of bone and muscle tissue close to a corresponding artery. Deep veins are found far under the skin going through the muscles and running alongside an individual's bones. Blood in the deep veins can move faster and more efficiently than it can in superficial veins because the deep veins are surrounded by muscular tissue that helps the valves squeeze blood toward the heart. The function of the valves inside of the deep veins and the muscular tissues around them is critical because gravity is a constant force against their direction of motion. Deep veins can hold more blood at any given time than the arteries because the venous walls are thinner and more flexible than the arterial walls. Some of the deep veins present in an individual's lower extremities are the internal iliac, pelvic vein, deep femoral vein, external iliac, common iliac, and the popliteal veins. Some deep veins found in the upper extremities include the ulnar vein, axillary vein, radial vein, brachial vein, and subclavian veins.

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