Which vein returns blood from the upper half of the body to the right atrium?

• A. Superior Vena Cava
• B. Inferior Vena Cava
• C. Pulmonary Vein
• D. Coronary Sinus

Answer: (A)

Blood from the head, neck, and upper limbs returns to the heart via the superior vena cava. It collects deoxygenated blood from these upper-body regions (through the brachiocephalic veins that join to form it) and delivers it into the right atrium. The lower body drains into the inferior vena cava, the lungs’ oxygenated blood returns via the pulmonary veins to the left atrium, and the coronary sinus brings venous blood from the heart muscle to the right atrium but not from the upper body. So, the superior vena cava is the vessel that carries blood from the upper half of the body to the right atrium.