Final answer:
Blood flows from the body to the lungs beginning with the vena cava, progressing to the right atrium, then to the right ventricle, and finally through the pulmonary artery to the lungs for oxygenation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basic pattern of blood flow from the body to the lungs starts with the vena cava, which collects deoxygenated blood from the body and empties it into the right atrium of the heart.
From the right atrium, the blood passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle.
The right ventricle then pumps the blood through the pulmonary valve and into the pulmonary artery, which carries it to the lungs for gas exchange