Which type of blood vessels are responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood back to the heart?

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

Answer: (B)

Veins are the type of blood vessels responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood back to the heart. In the circulatory system, oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the heart through arteries to the body tissues. After delivering oxygen and nutrients, the blood picks up carbon dioxide and other metabolic waste from the tissues, becoming deoxygenated. This deoxygenated blood is then collected by veins, which transport it back to the heart.

While venules also play a role in this process, they are smaller vessels that collect blood from capillaries and lead to veins. Therefore, while they contribute to the return of blood to the heart, they are not the primary vessels responsible for this function. Capillaries serve as the exchange points between arteries and veins but do not carry blood back to the heart. Arteries, on the other hand, primarily carry oxygenated blood away from the heart, making veins the correct choice for transporting deoxygenated blood back to the heart.