Which vessel type carries blood away from the heart?

• A. Arteries
• B. Capillaries
• C. Veins
• D. Lymphatic vessels

Answer: (A)

Blood moves through the circulation in a directional pattern: some vessels carry blood away from the heart, others bring it back. The vessels that move blood away from the heart are arteries. They have thick, elastic walls to withstand the high pressure generated with each heartbeat and often transport oxygen-rich blood in the systemic circulation. A useful nuance is that pulmonary arteries also carry blood away from the heart, but to the lungs; their job fits the same directional rule—away from the heart—while their oxygen content differs from systemic arteries. Veins, in contrast, return blood toward the heart, capillaries connect arteries and veins and are the sites of exchange, and lymphatic vessels carry lymph as part of the lymphatic system rather than whole blood.