Which of the following best describes systemic circulation?

Which of the following best describes systemic circulation?

• A. From the left ventricle to the aorta and back to the right atrium
• B. From the left side of the heart to the body's cells and back to the right side
• C. From the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium
• D. From the coronary arteries to the myocardium

Answer: (B)

Systemic circulation moves oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart through the body to supply tissues, and then returns deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. The left ventricle pumps into the aorta, arteries, and capillaries of the body, where exchanges of oxygen, nutrients, and waste occur, and the blood returns via the veins to the right atrium. This option precisely states that flow—from the left heart to the body's cells and back to the right side—summarizes the whole loop and its purpose. The other choices describe different circuits or parts of circulation: the pulmonary circuit goes from the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium; the coronary circulation supplies the heart muscle itself from the coronary arteries to the myocardium; and one option mentions the path to the aorta and back to the right atrium without explicitly referencing the body’s tissues.

Systemic circulation moves oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart through the body to supply tissues, and then returns deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. The left ventricle pumps into the aorta, arteries, and capillaries of the body, where exchanges of oxygen, nutrients, and waste occur, and the blood returns via the veins to the right atrium. This option precisely states that flow—from the left heart to the body's cells and back to the right side—summarizes the whole loop and its purpose. The other choices describe different circuits or parts of circulation: the pulmonary circuit goes from the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium; the coronary circulation supplies the heart muscle itself from the coronary arteries to the myocardium; and one option mentions the path to the aorta and back to the right atrium without explicitly referencing the body’s tissues.