Their walls contain larger number of smooth muscles, allowing them to contract and expand depending on peripheral blood demand.
[2] The tunica intima of muscular arteries features a thin subendothelial layer and a prominent internal elastic lamina, while the media may contain up to 40 layers of large smooth muscle cells interspersed with a variable number of elastic lamellae, depending on the vessel size.
The adventitia, the outermost layer, contains lymphatic capillaries, vasa vasorum, and nerves, which may extend into the outer parts of the media.
[2] Under the microscope, muscular arteries can be identified by their clearly defined internal elastic lamina.
In constricted vessels, the elastic lamina of muscular arteries appears thick and kinky.