What vessels carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart?

The pulmonary veins are responsible for carrying oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. After oxygenation occurs in the alveoli of the lungs, this blood is collected by the pulmonary veins and transported directly back to the heart. The left atrium then receives this oxygen-rich blood and is responsible for pumping it into the left ventricle, which subsequently distributes it throughout the body.

Other vessels such as coronary arteries and the aorta have different functions. Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle itself rather than carrying blood from the lungs. The capillaries are tiny blood vessels that facilitate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at the tissue level but do not transport blood from the lungs to the heart. The aorta is the major artery that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body, but it is not involved in the direct return of blood from the lungs. Thus, the pulmonary veins are the only vessels that fulfill the specific role of transporting oxygenated blood back to the left atrium.