Functional parts of blood vessels Vessel Characteristics Connective Tissue Smooth Muscle Elastic vessels(Windkessel vessels) Endothelium Muscular and Elastic, Thick walled (弹性血管) Artery Distribution vessels(分布血管) Muscular. Little connective Resistance vessels(Precapillary tissue Arteriole resistance vessels)(阻力血管) Endothelial layer, no muscle Exchange vessels(交换血管) Shunt vessels(短路血管) Thin walls with some smooth muscle Venule Thin walled with smooth muscle Capacitance vessels(容量血管) flacidFunctional parts of blood vessels Elastic vessels (Windkessel vessels) （弹性血管） Resistance vessels (Precapillary resistance vessels)（阻力血管） Exchange vessels（交换血管） Capacitance vessels（容量血管） Distribution vessels（分布血管） Shunt vessels（短路血管）