Which vessels carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart in systemic circulation?

• A. Veins
• B. Arteries
• C. Capillaries
• D. Lymphatics

Answer: (A)

Veins carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart. In systemic circulation, blood is pumped from the left side of the heart through arteries to body tissues, where oxygen is delivered and used. Afterward, the blood returning from tissues is low in oxygen and travels back through the venous system into the right atrium via the superior and inferior vena cavae. Capillaries are the sites of gas exchange between blood and tissues, so they handle the drop in oxygen, but the actual vessels that move the blood toward the heart are the veins. Lymphatics carry lymph, not blood, so they don’t transport deoxygenated blood in systemic circulation.