Immediately following the arterioles are the capillaries. Following the logic observed in the arterioles, we expect the blood pressure to be lower in the capillaries compared to the arterioles. Since pressure is a function of force per unit area, ("P" = "F"/"A"), the larger the surface area, the lesser the pressure when an external force acts on it. Though the radii of the capillaries are very small, the network of capillaries has the largest surface area in the vascular network. They are known to have the largest surface area (485 mm^2) in the human vascular network. The larger the total cross-sectional area, the lower the mean velocity as well as the pressure.