spats; spatted; spatting. Learner's definition of SPAT. [no object] somewhat old-fashioned. : to argue or fight: to have a spat. They were typical sisters, spatting one minute, playing together the next.pats; spatted; spatting. Learner's definition of SPAT. [no object] somewhat old-fashioned. : to argue or fight: to have a spat. They were typical sisters, spatting one minute, playing together the next.
View All. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart. As they move down through the arterial network, they get smaller and smaller like the branches and twigs of a tree. When they have decreased in size to a certain point, we refer to them as arterioles. Arterioles share many of the properties of arteries. They are strong, have a relatively thick wall, and contain a high percentage of smooth muscle. But they also serve another important function.
Key point: the oxygen-rich blood vessels entering an organ are called arteries, while the oxygen-depleted blood vessels leaving an organ are called veins. So a blood vessel entering the liver or kidneys would be an artery. A blood vessel leaving the liver or kidneys would be a vein. The liver attribute is hepatic ( for example, the working cell unit in the liver is the hepatic cell), while the kidney attribute is renal (for example, renal failure).