Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood away from the heart?

• A. Veins
• B. Capillaries
• C. Venules
• D. Arteries

Answer: (D)

Arteries are the vessels that carry blood away from the heart. In the body’s main circulation, they transport oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues, and their thick, muscular walls help them withstand the high pressure of pumping blood. Veins return blood to the heart and usually carry blood with less oxygen, while capillaries are the tiny exchange channels between arteries and veins. An important exception is the pulmonary circuit, where the arteries carry blood to the lungs and are not oxygenated yet, while the lungs’ veins return oxygenated blood to the heart. So for moving oxygenated blood away from the heart in the typical systemic sense, the answer is arteries.