Final answer:
The statement mentioned is false; fluid is actually pushed out at the arterial end of capillaries due to higher hydrostatic pressure and reabsorbed at the venous end due to higher osmotic pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that fluid tends to be pushed out of the blood vessels at the venous end and reabsorbed at the arterial end is false. In the body's capillaries, there is a balance between hydrostatic pressure and osmotic pressure that determines the direction of fluid movement.
Fluid movement through these pressure-driven mechanisms is known as bulk flow, which includes both filtration and reabsorption.
At the arterial end of a capillary, the hydrostatic pressure (capillary blood pressure) is generally higher than the blood colloidal osmotic pressure, leading to net filtration. This pressure difference causes plasma and nutrients to move out of the capillaries and into the surrounding tissues.
As the blood moves to the venous end of the capillary, the hydrostatic pressure decreases, and the osmotic pressure, primarily produced by proteins like albumin, becomes relatively higher, resulting in net reabsorption of fluid back into the capillaries. Any excess fluid is collected by the lymphatic system and eventually returned to the circulatory system.