Which vessels supply the heart muscle with oxygenated blood?

• A. Pulmonary veins
• B. Coronary arteries
• C. Aorta
• D. Carotid arteries

Answer: (B)

Coronary arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood directly to the heart muscle. They branch off the aorta just above the aortic valve and spread over the heart’s surface to supply the myocardium with the oxygen it needs to keep contracting. This direct supply is essential because the heart muscle has a high and constant demand for oxygen.

Pulmonary veins carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium, not to the heart muscle itself. The aorta distributes blood to the rest of the body, and while the coronary arteries originate from the aorta, the actual vessels that nourish the heart muscle are the coronary arteries. Carotid arteries feed the head and neck, not the heart. Pulmonary arteries carry blood to the lungs and are not the source of oxygenated blood for the heart muscle.