What is the only artery that carries deoxygenated blood?

What is the only artery that carries deoxygenated blood?

• A. The pulmonary artery
• B. The aorta
• C. The coronary artery
• D. The pulmonary vein

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the pulmonary circulation is the exception to the general rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood. The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs for oxygenation. The other vessels listed do not fit: the aorta is the main systemic artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood to the body; the coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle; and the pulmonary vein, which returns oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium, is a vein, not an artery.

The key idea is that the pulmonary circulation is the exception to the general rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood. The pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs for oxygenation. The other vessels listed do not fit: the aorta is the main systemic artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood to the body; the coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle; and the pulmonary vein, which returns oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium, is a vein, not an artery.