Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. They are thick-walled and muscular, designed to withstand the high pressure of blood flow from the heart. Arteries branch out into smaller and smaller vessels, eventually forming capillaries, which are responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues. The largest artery in the human body is the aorta, which originates from the left ventricle of the heart and extends down to the abdomen, where it branches off into smaller arteries. Arteries are a crucial part of the circulatory system, which is responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells and removing waste products.