Final answer:
An artery with a high percentage of elastic fibers throughout its tunics, particularly the tunica media, is an elastic artery. These arteries are larger, close to the heart, and their elasticity is vital for managing the high pressure of blood flow and preventing arterial damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of artery that has a large proportion of elastic fibers throughout all three tunics, especially the tunica media, is known as an elastic artery. These arteries are typically larger than 10 mm in diameter and are located close to the heart. Because of their abundant elastic fibers, they can expand and recoil as blood is pumped through them, which helps to maintain the pressure gradient and drive blood through the arterial system.
This characteristic is essential to manage the high pressure of blood ejected from the heart and prevent damage to the arterial walls. In contrast, the muscular arteries, which are located farther from the heart, have more smooth muscle and less elastic tissue in their tunica media, allowing for vasoconstriction but limiting their ability to expand.