What is the name of the vessel that carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs?

The vessel that carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs is known as the pulmonary artery. This vessel is crucial because it transports blood that is low in oxygen from the heart's right ventricle to the lungs. In the lungs, carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen through the process of respiration.

Understanding the function of the pulmonary artery is important in the context of the cardiovascular system. It is distinct from other vessels, such as the aorta, which carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body, or the pulmonary vein, which brings oxygenated blood back from the lungs to the heart. The superior vena cava serves to return deoxygenated blood from the upper body to the heart but does not play a direct role in transporting blood specifically to the lungs. Thus, the unique role of the pulmonary artery in transporting deoxygenated blood specifically to the lungs underscores why it is the correct answer.