Which of the following blood vessels carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the heart?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle the question, I’ll evaluate what each listed vessel does in the circulation.
Option a: Vena cava. The vena cavae bring deoxygenated blood from the body back to the right atrium, not oxygen-rich blood from the lungs. So this vessel is involved in pulmonary return only indirectly, and it does not carry oxygenated blood from the lungs.
Option b: Aorta. The aorta is the main artery that distributes oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body. It carries blood after it has already been oxygenated in the lungs, but it does not carry blood back from the lungs to the heart.
Option c: Pulmonary veins. These are the vessels that return oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. They carry the freshly oxygenated blood after gas exchange in the alveoli, which fits the description of “oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the heart.”
Option d: Pulmonary arteries. These carry deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs for gas exchange, i.e., they move blood to the lungs to be oxygenated, not back from the lungs to the heart.
In summary, the choices reflect distinct roles: veins and arteries differ in direction and oxygen content, and the pulmonary vessels are specifically involved in the lung-to-heart return of oxygenated blood. The description that matches returning oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart aligns with the function of the pulmonary veins.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 4B - Self-Check: Circulatory System: Cardiac Cycle (LO 4B.1, 4B.2, 4B.3)

Which of the following blood vessels carries oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the heart?

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