To efficiently supply oxygen to respiring tissue cells, the mammalian double circulatory system maintains distinct blood pressures and oxygenation states within its major vessels.
Which of the following options correctly describes both the oxygenation state and the relative pressure of the blood in the two specified vessels?
Pulmonary vein: oxygenated, low pressure; Aorta: oxygenated, high pressure
Pulmonary artery: oxygenated, high pressure; Vena cava: deoxygenated, low pressure
Pulmonary vein: deoxygenated, low pressure; Aorta: oxygenated, high pressure
Pulmonary artery: deoxygenated, low pressure; Vena cava: oxygenated, high pressure