Which chamber of the heart receives deoxygenated blood from the body?

The right atrium is the chamber of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the body. This blood, depleted of oxygen after delivering it to various tissues, returns to the heart through two major veins: the superior vena cava, which drains blood from the upper body, and the inferior vena cava, which drains blood from the lower body. Once the right atrium fills with deoxygenated blood, it contracts, pushing the blood into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps this blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery, where it becomes oxygenated.

Understanding the flow of blood and the specific roles of each chamber is crucial in grasping the overall function of the cardiovascular system. The left atrium, which is incorrectly identified in other choices, actually receives oxygenated blood from the lungs, while the left ventricle pumps that oxygenated blood to the body. The right ventricle's function relates to moving deoxygenated blood to the lungs but does not directly receive it from the body.