Arteriole vs. Metarteriole — What's the Difference?

An arteriole is a small-diameter blood vessel in the microcirculation that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.Arterioles have muscular walls (usually only one to two layers of smooth muscle cells) and are the primary site of vascular resistance. The greatest change in blood pressure and velocity of blood flow occurs at the transition of arterioles to capillaries.

A metarteriole is a short microvessel in the microcirculation that links arterioles and capillaries. Instead of a continuous tunica media, they have individual smooth muscle cells placed a short distance apart, each forming a precapillary sphincter that encircles the entrance to that capillary bed.

One of the small terminal branches of an artery, especially one that connects with a capillary.

An arterial capillary; a short vessel linking arterioles and venules.

(anatomy) One of the small branches of an artery, especially one that connects with capillaries.

One of the small thin-walled arteries that end in capillaries