American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnician Certification Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the ASCP Histotechnician Certification Exam with practice questions and detailed explanations. Enhance your knowledge and skills to excel in the exam.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

Veins primarily carry what type of blood?

Oxygenated blood away from the heart
Deoxygenated blood to the heart
Nutrient-rich blood to the heart
Oxygen-poor blood from the lungs

The correct answer is: Deoxygenated blood to the heart

Veins primarily carry deoxygenated blood to the heart, which is why this choice is correct. The majority of the body's veins are responsible for collecting blood that has circulated through the body, delivering oxygen to tissues and collecting carbon dioxide and other waste products. This blood then returns to the heart, where it is pumped to the lungs for reoxygenation. While it's true that veins can carry nutrient-rich blood, as seen in the hepatic portal vein that collects blood from the gastrointestinal organs, this scenario does not represent the general function of veins across the body. Additionally, veins do not transport oxygenated blood away from the heart; that function is performed by arteries. Similarly, veins do not carry oxygen-poor blood from the lungs. Rather, the pulmonary veins are responsible for returning oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart. Therefore, the correct depiction of vein function is their role in returning deoxygenated blood to the heart.