What is the systemic side of the heart?

• A. Aorta
• B. Pulmonary arteries
• C. Right atrium and right ventricle
• D. Left atrium and left ventricle; receives oxygenated blood from lungs; delivers to body

Answer: (D)

The side of the heart that handles oxygenated blood to the body is the left side, consisting of the left atrium and left ventricle. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs via the pulmonary veins, and the left ventricle pumps that blood into the aorta to supply all body tissues. This is what defines the systemic circulation. The aorta is a major vessel in that system, not the side itself, while the right-sided chambers deal with deoxygenated blood moving toward the lungs. So describing the left atrium and left ventricle as receiving oxygenated blood from the lungs and delivering it to the body captures the systemic side accurately.