What forms a connecting network of smaller vessels between arteries and veins?

• A. Arterioles
• B. Capillaries
• C. Venules
• D. Lymphatics

Answer: (B)

Capillaries form the connecting network between arteries and veins. They are the smallest blood vessels, with walls only one cell thick, organized into capillary beds that spread through tissues. This vast, thin-walled network allows oxygen and nutrients to diffuse out of the blood and carbon dioxide and wastes to diffuse back in, making capillaries the key site where exchange happens as blood moves from arterioles to venules. Arterioles feed the capillary beds and help regulate blood flow and pressure, while venules collect blood from the capillaries to return to the veins. Lymphatics are a separate system and don’t form this direct arterial-venous connection.