Which vessel carries blood away from the heart to the lungs?

• A. Aorta
• B. Pulmonary Artery
• C. Pulmonary Veins
• D. Vena Cava

Answer: (B)

In the bloodstream, the path to the lungs is the pulmonary circulation. The right ventricle pushes blood into the pulmonary artery, which carries it away from the heart to the lungs for gas exchange. This blood is deoxygenated when it leaves the heart, and it becomes oxygenated in the lungs, then returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins into the left atrium.

The aorta carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body, not to the lungs. The pulmonary veins bring blood back from the lungs to the heart, not away. The vena cava returns blood from the body to the heart, also not toward the lungs.