Which of the following carries oxygenated blood from the heart?

The aorta is the largest artery in the body and plays a crucial role in the circulatory system by carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. After oxygenation occurs in the lungs, the blood is pumped from the left ventricle of the heart into the aorta, which then branches out into smaller arteries that deliver oxygen-rich blood to various tissues and organs.

In contrast, venules are small veins that collect deoxygenated blood from capillaries and carry it back toward the heart. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs, but they don't carry oxygenated blood directly to systemic circulation. The inferior vena cava is responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood from the lower body back to the heart, specifically to the right atrium. Therefore, the aorta is the only vessel among the choices that effectively transports oxygenated blood from the heart.