What vessel carries blood from the heart to the lungs?

The vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs is the pulmonary artery. This artery is crucial for pulmonary circulation, which is the process of transporting deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. In the lungs, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen; the blood becomes oxygenated and then returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins to be distributed throughout the body.

The pulmonary artery plays a unique role in the circulatory system, as it is the only artery that carries deoxygenated blood. After the blood is oxygenated in the lungs, it returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins, which serve a different function in this circulatory pathway. Understanding the distinction between these vessels is important for grasping how oxygen is transported in the body.