name the type of blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.

The type of blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body is called an artery. The largest artery in the body is the aorta , which carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body. Arteries have thick, elastic, muscular walls to withstand the high pressure of blood being pumped from the heart. An exception is the pulmonary artery, which carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.