Which type of blood vessel carries blood away from the heart?

Arteries are the blood vessels responsible for carrying blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. They have thick, elastic walls that can handle the high pressure of blood being pumped from the heart. This allows for efficient transport of oxygenated blood (with the exception of the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs) to various tissues and organs, where it delivers essential nutrients and oxygen required for cellular functions.

In contrast, veins transport blood back to the heart, often carrying deoxygenated blood (except for the pulmonary veins, which transport oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart). Capillaries serve as the sites for nutrient and gas exchange between the blood and tissues and are much smaller in diameter, while venules are small vessels that collect blood from capillaries and drain into veins. Hence, arteries uniquely fulfill the role of carrying blood away from the heart.