What type of blood vessel carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart?

The correct answer is arteries because they are specifically designed to carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the tissues and organs throughout the body. The largest artery, the aorta, emerges from the heart and branches into smaller arteries that distribute oxygenated blood to various regions.

In contrast, veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart, while capillaries serve as the sites for the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between blood and tissues. Venules are the small vessels that collect blood from capillaries and lead into veins. This specialization of arteries as vessels that transport oxygenated blood is crucial in maintaining the supply of oxygen necessary for cellular respiration and overall metabolic processes in the body.