Which vessels carry blood away from the heart to the rest of the body?

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

Answer: (A)

Arteries are the vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. They have thick, muscular walls and a narrow lumen to withstand and manage the higher pressure of blood leaving the heart. In the systemic circulation, arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to body tissues, branching into smaller arterioles and then into capillaries where exchange with cells occurs. Veins, capillaries, and lymphatic vessels have different roles: veins return blood to the heart, capillaries are the sites of exchange between blood and tissues, and lymphatic vessels carry lymph rather than blood. (Note the pulmonary side is an exception: the pulmonary artery carries blood away from the heart to the lungs and is typically deoxygenated.)