What blood vessels carry 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. This fits with how the heart’s pumping action ejects blood into the arterial system, supplying tissues throughout the body. Arteries have thick, muscular walls with elastic tissue to withstand and help regulate the high pressure generated by each heartbeat. In the systemic circulation, they typically carry oxygen-rich blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells; an important exception is the pulmonary arteries, which transport deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for gas exchange.

Veins return blood to the heart, capillaries are tiny vessels where exchange between blood and tissues occurs, and venules are small vessels that drain capillaries into veins.