Which blood vessel type carries blood towards the heart?

Veins are the blood vessel type that carries blood toward the heart. They operate under a lower pressure system compared to arteries and are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood from the body back to the heart after it has delivered oxygen to the tissues. Veins contain valves that prevent backflow of blood, ensuring it moves in the correct direction toward the heart.

In contrast, arteries carry blood away from the heart, typically transporting oxygenated blood to various parts of the body, except for the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels that connect arterioles and venules, facilitating the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products between blood and tissues. Venules are smaller blood vessels that collect deoxygenated blood from capillaries and act as conduits to transport this blood into veins. Thus, while venules also carry blood toward the heart, the primary vessel type specialized for this function is the veins.