Which vessel is the largest artery in the body and carries oxygenated blood around the body?

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

Answer: (D)

The vessels carrying oxygen-rich blood to the body are the arteries of the systemic circulation, and the largest one is the aorta. It exits the left ventricle and has the thick, elastic walls and wide diameter needed to push blood under high pressure to every part of the body. From the aorta, major branches distribute oxygenated blood to organs and tissues throughout the body.

The other options aren’t correct for this description: the vena cava is a large vein returning deoxygenated blood to the heart; the pulmonary artery transports deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs; and the pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart but are veins, not arteries.