Which great vessel is a vein that transports oxygenated blood?

Which great vessel is a vein that transports oxygenated blood?

• A. Pulmonary veins
• B. Aorta
• C. Superior vena cava
• D. Pulmonary artery

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how oxygen content and flow direction define these vessels. Veins move toward the heart, arteries move away, and in the lungs, blood becomes oxygenated before returning to the heart. The pulmonary veins are the vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the heart, delivering it into the left atrium. That makes them the only major vessel in the list that is a vein and that transports oxygenated blood. The aorta is an artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body. The superior vena cava is a vein, but it returns deoxygenated blood from the head, neck, and upper body to the right atrium. The pulmonary artery is an artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

The key idea is how oxygen content and flow direction define these vessels. Veins move toward the heart, arteries move away, and in the lungs, blood becomes oxygenated before returning to the heart. The pulmonary veins are the vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs back to the heart, delivering it into the left atrium. That makes them the only major vessel in the list that is a vein and that transports oxygenated blood.

The aorta is an artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body. The superior vena cava is a vein, but it returns deoxygenated blood from the head, neck, and upper body to the right atrium. The pulmonary artery is an artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.