Blood vessels leading into and out of the heart
There are four main blood vessels that take blood into and out of the heart.
- the aorta is the largest artery in the body. It carries oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle to the body
- the vena cava is the largest vein in the body. It carries deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart
- the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood away from the right ventricle to the lungs
- the pulmonary vein returns oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart
Arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart (except for the pulmonary artery which carries deoxygenated blood away from the right ventricle to the lungs).
The main artery is the aorta.
The main vein is the vena cava.