What are the vessels that bring blood away from the heart called?

The vessels that bring blood away from the heart are known as arteries. This is because arteries are designed to carry oxygenated blood (with the exception of the pulmonary arteries) from the heart to various parts of the body. They have thick, muscular walls to handle the high pressure of blood pumped directly from the heart.

In contrast, veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart, capillaries are small blood vessels where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste occurs, and venules are small tributaries of veins. Each of these other vessel types serves a different role in the circulatory system, highlighting the distinct functions of arteries in transporting blood away from the heart.