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Multiple Choice

Which type of blood vessels carry blood away from the heart?

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. When the heart contracts, it ejects blood into the arteries, and their thick, muscular walls help withstand and regulate the high pressure of this pumped blood as it travels to tissues throughout the body. Veins, in contrast, return blood to the heart and often have valves to prevent backflow, while capillaries are tiny vessels where exchange with tissues occurs and lie between arteries and veins. A helpful nuance is that the pulmonary artery also carries blood away from the heart, but it transports it to the lungs and is typically deoxygenated, whereas most arteries carry oxygenated blood to body tissues.

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. When the heart contracts, it ejects blood into the arteries, and their thick, muscular walls help withstand and regulate the high pressure of this pumped blood as it travels to tissues throughout the body. Veins, in contrast, return blood to the heart and often have valves to prevent backflow, while capillaries are tiny vessels where exchange with tissues occurs and lie between arteries and veins. A helpful nuance is that the pulmonary artery also carries blood away from the heart, but it transports it to the lungs and is typically deoxygenated, whereas most arteries carry oxygenated blood to body tissues.