What does the right ventricle do?

The right ventricle plays a crucial role in the circulatory system, specifically in the process of pulmonary circulation. Its primary function is to receive deoxygenated blood from the right atrium, which comes from the body, and then it pumps this blood to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries.

In the lungs, the blood releases carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen, becoming oxygen-rich. This process is vital for maintaining the oxygen supply that the body needs to function properly. When the right ventricle contracts, it creates enough pressure to push the blood through the pulmonary artery into the lungs for reoxygenation.

The other options refer to functions that are attributed to different parts of the heart or circulatory system. For instance, sending oxygen-rich blood to the body is the role of the left ventricle, which pumps oxygenated blood into the aorta. Receiving blood from the lungs is the function of the left atrium, and pumping blood to the aorta is also the responsibility of the left ventricle, not the right. Thus, the right ventricle's specific role in sending oxygen-poor blood to the lungs is essential to keeping the cycle of oxygenation and circulation intact.