Which type of blood do arteries deliver?

• A. Deoxygenated blood
• B. Oxygenated blood
• C. Mixed blood
• D. Oxygenated blood in the venous system

Answer: (B)

Arteries deliver oxygenated blood to the tissues in the systemic circulation. After the heart pumps blood from the left ventricle into the aorta, arteries carry this oxygen-rich blood to body tissues, where it unloads oxygen and picks up carbon dioxide. A key exception to keep in mind is the pulmonary circuit, where the arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs for gas exchange. But in the context of the standard circulation, the blood arteries carry is oxygenated. The other options don’t fit because deoxygenated blood is carried mainly by veins (and by the pulmonary arteries), “mixed blood” isn’t a typical classification, and the phrase “oxygenated blood in the venous system” contradicts arterial flow.