Final Answer:
Veins and arteries: oxygenated vs deoxygenated. a) Veins carry deoxygenated blood, arteries carry oxygenated blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Veins and arteries play crucial roles in the circulatory system, transporting blood throughout the body. Option (a) accurately describes their primary functions.
Veins carry deoxygenated blood: Veins are vessels that transport blood back to the heart. After the body's cells extract oxygen from the blood, veins return the deoxygenated blood to the heart to be pumped to the lungs for oxygenation.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood: Arteries, on the other hand, are responsible for carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart to various parts of the body. The heart pumps oxygenated blood into the arteries, ensuring that vital organs and tissues receive the oxygen they need.
a) Veins carry deoxygenated blood, arteries carry oxygenated blood.
This distinction is vital for understanding the circulatory system's efficiency in oxygen transport.