| Venule | |
|---|---|
 Types of blood vessels, including a venule, vein, and capillaries | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | venula |
| MeSH | D014699 |
| TA98 | A12.0.00.037 |
| TA2 | 3903 |
| TH | H3.09.02.0.03002 |
| FMA | 63130 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
A venule is a very small vein in the microcirculation that allows blood to return from the capillary beds to drain into the venous system via increasingly larger veins. Post-capillary venules are the smallest of the veins with a diameter of between 10 and 30 micrometres (μm). When the post-capillary venules increase in diameter to 50μm they can incorporate smooth muscle and are known as muscular venules.[1] Veins contain approximately 70% of total blood volume, while about 25% is contained in the venules.[2] Many venules unite to form a vein.
- ^ Standring, Susan (2016). Gray's anatomy : the anatomical basis of clinical practice (Forty-first ed.). [Philadelphia]. p. 131. ISBN 9780702052309.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Woods, Susan (2010). Cardiac Nursing. New York: Lippincotts. p. 955. ISBN 9780781792806.