Body Atlas

Follow the Blood · Heart

Why is blood in my veins darker?

The same blood, before and after its visit to the lungs.

The simple answer

The blood coming back from your body carries less oxygen than the blood leaving your lungs. Same blood, two states: oxygen-poor heading in, oxygen-rich heading out.

Go deeper

There's more: the same blood, before and after its visit to the lungs. The full explanation — and the interactive version you can tap and quiz yourself on — lives in the app.

Explore this concept in Body Atlas →

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