Are arteries arterioles?

No. Arteries and arterioles are related but not the same vessel. An artery is a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart and branches into ever-smaller vessels. An arteriole is a very small artery that leads to a capillary; OpenStax notes that arterioles have the same three wall layers as larger vessels, but each layer is much thinner, with only one or two smooth-muscle layers in the tunica media.

Because of their small lumen and muscular walls, arterioles are the main resistance vessels that slow blood flow and help regulate blood pressure before blood reaches the capillaries.

Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e — 20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels

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