Which type of blood vessel carries deoxygenated blood back to the heart?

Veins are the blood vessels responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The systemic circulation of blood involves oxygen-rich blood being pumped from the heart through arteries to the body's tissues. Once the oxygen is delivered, the blood collects carbon dioxide and other waste products.

The deoxygenated blood then returns to the heart through the venous system. Veins have thinner walls compared to arteries and often contain valves that prevent the backflow of blood, ensuring that it moves efficiently toward the heart.

In contrast, arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart under higher pressure, capillaries serve as the sites for nutrient and gas exchange between the blood and tissues, and arterioles are smaller branches of arteries that lead to capillaries. Each of these plays a distinct role in the circulatory system, but it is the veins that are specifically designed to return deoxygenated blood to the heart for reoxygenation.