Which statement about arteries is true?

• A. Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
• B. Veins carry blood away from the heart.
• C. Capillaries are the smallest arteries.
• D. Venules return blood to the heart.

Answer: (A)

Blood flow direction in the vascular system follows a simple rule: arteries carry blood away from the heart. They have thick, elastic walls to withstand the high pressure of central pumping, and their pulses can be felt as the heartbeat moves blood through the body. This is why the statement about arteries carrying blood away from the heart is true. Veins, on the other hand, return blood toward the heart, so a statement saying they carry blood away would be incorrect. Capillaries are the tiniest vessels where exchange with tissues happens; they link arterioles to venules, so they are not the smallest arteries. Venules are small veins that drain blood from capillaries into larger veins, eventually returning it to the heart.