Which is the primary function of arteries?

Which is the primary function of arteries?

• A. Carry blood away from the heart
• B. Carry blood toward the heart
• C. Regulate blood cell production
• D. Exchange nutrients with tissues

Answer: (A)

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. After the heart contracts, blood is propelled into the arteries, which have thick, muscular walls to withstand and regulate the high pressure from pumping. This design helps deliver blood to tissues throughout the body, with exchange of oxygen and nutrients occurring later in the capillaries. Veins, not arteries, return blood toward the heart, and nutrient exchange happens in the capillaries rather than in arteries. An everyday nuance to recall is that the pulmonary artery also travels away from the heart, but it carries blood to the lungs to be oxygenated.

Arteries carry blood away from the heart. After the heart contracts, blood is propelled into the arteries, which have thick, muscular walls to withstand and regulate the high pressure from pumping. This design helps deliver blood to tissues throughout the body, with exchange of oxygen and nutrients occurring later in the capillaries. Veins, not arteries, return blood toward the heart, and nutrient exchange happens in the capillaries rather than in arteries. An everyday nuance to recall is that the pulmonary artery also travels away from the heart, but it carries blood to the lungs to be oxygenated.