what is the function of pulmonary artery

The pulmonary artery is a blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs. It is the only artery in the body that carries oxygen-poor blood. The pulmonary artery is a great vessel that connects with the heart at the pulmonary valve, which controls blood flow out of the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle) . After leaving the heart, the main pulmonary artery divides into the right and left pulmonary arteries, which lead to the right and left lungs, respectively. The pulmonary arteries further subdivide into lobar, segmental, and sub-segmental arteries of the lungs before eventually becoming capillaries surrounded by alveoli. The function of the pulmonary artery is to transport deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation. The oxygenation of blood occurs as part of the process of respiration, where the blood passes through capillaries adjacent to alveoli. Understanding the anatomy and function of the pulmonary artery is essential for cardiothoracic surgery, as any surgical work done in and around the pulmonary artery puts at risk the other nearby structures of the heart and lungs.