Which vessels carry oxygenated blood away from the heart?

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

Answer: (A)

Arteries are the vessels that carry blood away from the heart. In the systemic circulation, this blood is oxygen-rich, delivering oxygen to tissues as it travels from the heart through the aorta and its branches. After the oxygen is used, the blood returns to the heart through veins. An important nuance is that in the pulmonary circuit, the arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs, where it becomes oxygenated before returning to the heart via the pulmonary veins. Lymphatic vessels, on the other hand, carry lymph, not blood, so they don’t transport blood’s oxygen.