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

When blood leaves the right ventricle, into which vessels does it enter?

1. Aorta and pulmonary veins

2. Right and left pulmonary arteries

3. Coronary arteries

4. Superior and inferior vena cavae

The correct answer is: Right and left pulmonary arteries

When blood leaves the right ventricle, it enters the right and left pulmonary arteries. This is essential for the pulmonary circulation process. The right ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood into these arteries, which then transport the blood to the lungs. In the lungs, blood releases carbon dioxide and absorbs oxygen, completing the essential function of gas exchange. The other options do not accurately reflect the pathway that blood takes from the right ventricle. The aorta and pulmonary veins are involved in systemic circulation and returning oxygenated blood to the heart from the lungs, respectively, but they are not directly after the right ventricle. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle itself and do not receive blood directly from the right ventricle. The superior and inferior vena cavae are major veins that deliver deoxygenated blood to the right atrium, not vessels that carry blood out from the right ventricle. Understanding this flow is crucial for grasping how the circulatory system functions in both pulmonary and systemic circulation.