Heart Chambers and Blood Flow: Deoxygenated to Lungs & Oxygenated Return

The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from the body through two large veins called the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. From the right atrium, the blood is pumped into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps the deoxygenated blood into the lungs through the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins. The oxygenated blood enters the left atrium, from where it is pumped into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then pumps the oxygenated blood out to the body through the aorta, the largest artery in the body.