What vessels carry blood away from the heart?

Arteries are the blood vessels responsible for carrying blood away from the heart. They play a crucial role in the circulatory system by transporting oxygenated blood (in the case of systemic circulation) to various tissues and organs throughout the body. The thick walls of arteries, composed of multiple layers of tissue, help withstand the high pressure of blood that is pumped directly from the heart.

In contrast, veins are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood back to the heart, and capillaries serve as the exchange sites where oxygen, nutrients, and waste products are transferred between blood and tissues. Venules, which are small vessels that collect blood from capillaries, eventually merge to form veins. Each of these other vessel types has a specific function in the circulatory system, but only arteries are designated to carry blood away from the heart.