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.
The main function of blood vessels is to carry blood through the body. The blood carries oxygen, nutrients, and wastes that need to move around the body. There are three kinds of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries.The arteries carry blood away from the heart and transport it to the rest of the body.The blood in arteries carries oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body.The veins carry blood the opposite direction, back to the heart from the rest of the body.he arteries carry blood away from the heart and transport it to the rest of the body. The blood in arteries carries oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body. The veins carry blood the opposite direction, back to the heart from the rest of the body.