Deoxygenated blood returning from the body enters the heart through the superior and inferior vena cava and flows into the right atrium. From there, it is pumped to the right ventricle and then to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, blood picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins, entering the left atrium. It is then pumped to the left ventricle, which pumps it out to the body through the aorta.