what structure of the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body?
Mar 17, 2016. All veins except for the pulmonary vein. The heart pumps oxygenated blood around the body by the arteries which then enter tissues through tiny capillaries. Once the oxygen has diffused across into the cells, carbon dioxide then bonds to the red blood cells instead. Now the blood has very little oxygen and lots of carbon dioxide. It is transported back to the heart by veins (of which the biggest is the vena cava) to be pumped up to the lungs.