What term describes the pressure that blood exerts against the walls of arteries?

The term that describes the pressure exerted by blood against the walls of arteries is blood pressure. Blood pressure is a crucial physiological measurement that indicates the force of circulating blood on the arterial walls during various phases of the cardiac cycle.

When the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in two different measurements: systolic pressure, which is the pressure during the heart's contraction, and diastolic pressure, which is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. This pressure is essential for ensuring that blood flows adequately throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues while also aiding in the removal of waste products.

In contrast, heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute, blood volume is the total amount of blood circulating in the body, and cardiac output measures the volume of blood the heart pumps in one minute. While all these factors are interconnected and contribute to cardiovascular health, blood pressure specifically pertains to the force exerted by the blood in the arteries.