The Gulf of Mexico covers a surface area of 579,153 sq miles (1.5 million sq km), and is measured 994 miles (1,600 km) west to east, and 559 miles (900 km) north to south.
After travelling from the aorta, blood travels through peripheral arteries into smaller arteries called arterioles, and eventually to capillaries. Arterioles help in regulating blood pressure by the variable contraction of the smooth muscle of their walls, and deliver blood to the capillaries.
Main Content: Your arteries and high blood pressure. The arteries are the large blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to all the organs and muscles of the body, to give them the energy and oxygen they need. The arteries manage the flow of blood by controlling the speed and direction it flows in.