What are venules primarily responsible for in the circulatory system?

Venules play a crucial role in the circulatory system by gathering blood from the capillaries and directing it into larger veins. After blood has circulated through the capillary networks, where nutrients and gases are exchanged with tissues, it enters the venules. These small vessels serve as a conduit for deoxygenated blood, which has delivered its oxygen to the tissues, to return to the heart. This process is essential for maintaining proper circulation and ensuring that blood can be adequately replenished with oxygen in the lungs.

The other options describe functions performed by different components of the circulatory system. For instance, transporting blood away from the heart is primarily the role of arteries. Similarly, delivering oxygenated blood to tissues is a function of the arteries and arterioles, which carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body. Regulating blood pressure is typically managed by the elastic properties of arteries and the contraction of smooth muscle in the vascular walls, rather than the function of venules. Thus, the specific and essential role of venules in collecting blood from capillaries into the venous system makes that answer the most accurate.