Question

an embolus traveling down the radial artery will next reach the
multiple choice
axillary artery.
subclavian artery.
brachial artery.

Explanation:

The radial artery is a continuation of the brachial artery. In the direction of blood - flow, an embolus traveling down the radial artery would have come from the brachial artery. The axillary artery gives rise to the brachial artery, and the subclavian artery gives rise to the axillary artery. So, the embolus has already passed through the brachial artery to reach the radial artery.

Answer:

None of the above options are correct. The embolus has already passed the brachial, axillary and subclavian arteries in the upstream direction of its current path in the radial artery. If we consider the normal arterial pathway in reverse (as the embolus is moving downstream in the radial artery), it has already traversed these arteries. If we assume a mis - understanding of the question and consider the normal arterial flow sequence in the correct direction, the radial and ulnar arteries are the terminal branches of the brachial artery. But among the given options, none are correct as they are upstream to the radial artery in the normal arterial pathway.