毛細血管(もうさいけっかん)

毛細血管(もうさいけっかん) literally means "hair-thin blood vessel" — 毛細(もうさい) (hair-fine) + 血管(けっかん) (blood vessel).

RELATED WORDS (blood vessels):

• 動脈(どうみゃく): artery (carries blood away from heart)
• 静脈(じょうみゃく): vein (returns blood to heart)
• 毛細血管(もうさいけっかん): capillary (connects arteries and veins)

Common collocations

• 毛細血管(もうさいけっかん)が収縮(しゅうしゅく)する: capillaries constrict
• 毛細血管(もうさいけっかん)が拡張(かくちょう)する: capillaries dilate

Usage

The walls of 毛細血管(もうさいけっかん) are only one cell thick, allowing gas and nutrient exchange. This word appears in biology classes, medical contexts, and health discussions about blood circulation.