What term describes blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart?

The correct term for blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart is "artery." Arteries are muscular and elastic vessels that transport oxygenated blood (with the exception of the pulmonary arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs) to various parts of the body. The muscular walls of arteries help regulate blood pressure and maintain blood flow, allowing them to accommodate the high pressure generated by the heart's pumping action.

Veins, on the other hand, are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels where the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste occurs between blood and tissues. Venules are small blood vessels that collect blood from capillaries and drain into veins. Understanding the roles and characteristics of each type of blood vessel is crucial for grasping how the circulatory system functions as a whole.