Final answer:
The correct statement that explains blood flow through the heart is option B, where oxygen-rich blood is carried from the left ventricle to the body through the aorta. This occurs after the right ventricle has sent oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, where it becomes oxygenated and returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary veins.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement that accurately describes how blood flows through the heart is: B. Oxygen-rich blood is carried in the aorta from the left ventricle to the body. The process of blood circulation includes several major steps, as follows:
- Oxygen-poor blood is returned to the right atrium from throughout the body via the superior and inferior vena cava.
- The right atrium pumps the blood through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.
- The right ventricle pumps the blood into the pulmonary artery, which carries it to the lungs for gas exchange.
- Oxygen-rich blood is then carried back to the heart by the pulmonary veins, entering the left atrium.
- The left atrium sends the blood through the mitral valve into the left ventricle.
- Finally, the left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood into the aorta, which distributes it to the rest of the body.
Therefore, options A, C, and D are incorrect as they either describe the wrong side of the heart for the oxygenation state of the blood or the incorrect path the blood takes.