What does blood transport throughout the body?

Blood plays a crucial role in the body's overall function, and its primary purpose is to transport essential substances to and from the cells. The correct answer highlights that blood is responsible for carrying oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products.

Oxygen is transported from the lungs to the cells, where it is used for cellular respiration to produce energy. Nutrients, absorbed from digested food, are also carried through the bloodstream to various cells and tissues for growth and repair. Hormones, which are chemical messengers produced by glands, are distributed through the blood to different organs to regulate various physiological processes.

Additionally, blood collects waste products, such as carbon dioxide produced during metabolism, and transports them to the lungs for exhalation or to the kidneys for elimination from the body. This comprehensive transportation function is vital to maintaining homeostasis and ensuring that all body systems work harmoniously.

Other answer choices, such as focusing solely on nutrients or carbon dioxide, fail to capture the full range of substances that blood transports, while the mention of air and water is misleading, as they are not directly transported in the blood in the same manner as the aforementioned components.