Which statement is true about the right ventricle?

• A. Pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body
• B. Pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs
• C. Receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs
• D. Receives oxygen-poor blood from the body

Answer: (B)

The right ventricle’s job is to move deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation. It receives blood from the right atrium and pushes it into the pulmonary artery toward the lungs, where gas exchange occurs. Because it’s sending blood to the nearby lungs under lower pressure, it has thinner walls than the left ventricle.

This differs from the statement about pumping oxygen-rich blood to the body, which is the left ventricle’s role. It also doesn’t receive oxygen-rich blood from the lungs—that blood goes to the left atrium and then the left ventricle. And the right ventricle isn’t receiving oxygen-poor blood from the body; that blood goes into the right atrium first. So the accurate description is that the right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs.