The femoral artery supplies blood to which region?

• A. It supplies blood to the thigh.
• B. It supplies blood to the calf.
• C. It drains blood from the leg.
• D. It supplies blood to the pelvis.

Answer: (A)

The femoral artery delivers oxygenated blood to the thigh. It is the main artery that continues from the external iliac artery after it passes beneath the inguinal ligament and travels down the front of the thigh, supplying the thigh muscles and skin. It isn’t involved in draining blood—that’s the job of veins like the femoral vein. The calf receives blood from arteries that arise downstream after the femoral artery becomes the popliteal artery behind the knee, and the pelvis is mainly supplied by the internal iliac arteries.