Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to various parts of the body.
From Greek 'arteria' meaning 'windpipe' or 'artery,' from 'aer' (air) and 'terein' (to keep). Ancient Greeks thought arteries carried air because they appeared empty in corpses.
The ancient misconception that arteries carried air rather than blood persisted for centuries because post-mortem examinations showed empty vessels. This demonstrates how observational limitations can shape scientific understanding for millennia.
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