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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Veins and Arteries Quiz: Test your vascular and nerve anatomy

Quick, free vascular anatomy quiz. Instant results and helpful review.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Ron RubicoUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art heart with veins nerves and arteries on sky blue background for a quiz on circulatory and nerve function

This quiz helps you check where major veins, arteries, and key nerves run-and what they do. Work through clear questions, get instant feedback, and spot topics to review before lab or exams. When you want extra practice, try our veins of the body quiz, build recall with the artery labeling quiz, or focus on pathways with a targeted spinal nerves quiz.

Which major vessel carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the systemic circulation?
Aorta (Explanation: The aorta leaves the left ventricle and distributes oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation.)
Pulmonary artery
Pulmonary vein
Superior vena cava
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Which vein is the primary route draining blood from the brain to the heart?
Internal jugular vein (Explanation: The internal jugular vein drains the dural venous sinuses and is the main venous outflow from the brain.)
Great cerebral vein (of Galen)
External jugular vein
Subclavian vein
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Which nerve is the principal motor supply to the diaphragm?
Phrenic nerve (Explanation: The phrenic nerve, originating from C3-C5, innervates the diaphragm.)
Intercostal nerves
Accessory nerve
Vagus nerve
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Which artery is most commonly palpated to assess the pulse at the wrist?
Ulnar artery
Radial artery (Explanation: The radial artery runs laterally at the wrist and is commonly used to check the pulse.)
Brachial artery
Median artery
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Which superficial vein in the antecubital fossa is most often used for venipuncture?
Basilic vein
Cephalic vein
Median cubital vein (Explanation: The median cubital vein bridges the cephalic and basilic veins and is commonly accessed for blood draws.)
Radial vein
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Which nerve mediates the Achilles tendon (ankle jerk) reflex?
Obturator nerve
Femoral nerve
Common fibular (peroneal) nerve
Tibial nerve (Explanation: The Achilles reflex primarily tests the S1 nerve root via the tibial nerve.)
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Which artery primarily forms the deep palmar arch of the hand?
Common interosseous artery
Brachial artery
Radial artery (Explanation: The deep palmar arch is mainly formed by the radial artery with contribution from the deep branch of the ulnar artery.)
Ulnar artery
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Which nerve provides cutaneous sensation to the posterior arm and forearm?
Radial nerve (Explanation: The radial nerve and its posterior cutaneous branches supply the posterior arm and forearm skin.)
Ulnar nerve
Median nerve
Musculocutaneous nerve
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The dorsalis pedis artery is a continuation of which artery at the ankle?
Posterior tibial artery
Popliteal artery
Fibular (peroneal) artery
Anterior tibial artery (Explanation: The anterior tibial artery continues onto the dorsum of the foot as the dorsalis pedis artery.)
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A fracture of the surgical neck of the humerus most commonly injures which nerve?
Axillary nerve (Explanation: The axillary nerve winds around the surgical neck with the posterior circumflex humeral vessels.)
Median nerve
Radial nerve
Ulnar nerve
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Which coronary artery most commonly supplies the sinoatrial (SA) node?
Posterior descending artery
Left circumflex artery
Right coronary artery (Explanation: In most individuals, the SA nodal branch arises from the right coronary artery.)
Left anterior descending artery
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Which nerve carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?
Lingual nerve (V3) for taste
Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)
Hypoglossal nerve (XII)
Chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve (VII) (Explanation: Taste from the anterior two-thirds travels via chorda tympani joining the lingual nerve.)
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Which vessel is most commonly ruptured in an epidural hematoma following temporal bone fracture?
Anterior cerebral artery
Middle meningeal artery (Explanation: The middle meningeal artery runs beneath the pterion and is vulnerable in epidural hematomas.)
Bridging veins
Middle meningeal vein
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Which fetal vessel carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus?
Ductus venosus
Ductus arteriosus
Umbilical vein (Explanation: The single umbilical vein carries oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the fetus.)
Umbilical artery
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Which artery directly supplies the inner layers of the retina?
Central retinal artery (Explanation: The central retinal artery, a branch of the ophthalmic artery, supplies the inner retinal layers.)
Short posterior ciliary arteries
Middle meningeal artery
Ophthalmic artery only
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The cavernous sinus contains the internal carotid artery and the abducens nerve (CN VI).
True (Explanation: Both the internal carotid artery and CN VI pass through the cavernous sinus; other cranial nerves are in the lateral wall.)
False
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Which artery is classically occluded in an anterior spinal artery syndrome affecting motor function below the lesion?
Anterior spinal artery (Explanation: Infarction of the anterior spinal artery compromises anterior two-thirds of the spinal cord, affecting motor tracts.)
Middle cerebral artery
Basilar artery
Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
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Which artery is the primary supply to Broca area in the dominant hemisphere?
Middle cerebral artery superior division (Explanation: Broca area in the inferior frontal gyrus is supplied by the superior division of the MCA.)
Posterior cerebral artery
Anterior choroidal artery
Anterior cerebral artery
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Which artery supplies the sinoatrial node in a left-dominant coronary circulation when not supplied by the right coronary?
Posterior descending artery (from RCA)
Left anterior descending artery
Left circumflex artery (Explanation: The SA nodal branch can arise from the LCx, especially in left-dominant patterns.)
Obtuse marginal artery
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Which artery commonly forms an anastomosis around the surgical neck of the humerus with posterior circumflex humeral artery?
Anterior circumflex humeral artery (Explanation: The anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries form an anastomotic circle around the surgical neck.)
Thoracoacromial artery
Scapular circumflex artery
Superior ulnar collateral artery
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Major Vessels and Nerves -

    After completing the veins nerves arteries quiz, you'll be able to accurately name the body's primary arteries, veins, and nerves and recognize their roles in circulation and nerve function.

  2. Differentiate Arteries from Veins -

    Use structural and functional criteria to distinguish arteries from veins in the human circulatory system, improving your grasp of blood vessel anatomy.

  3. Analyze Blood Flow Pathways -

    Trace the route of blood through major vessels and evaluate how arterial and venous networks support oxygen and nutrient distribution.

  4. Describe Nerve Function and Anatomy -

    Summarize how peripheral nerves transmit signals and interact with vascular structures, enhancing your understanding of nerve function trivia.

  5. Evaluate Anatomical Relationships -

    Assess spatial connections between vessels and nerves to deepen your insight into blood vessel anatomy quiz scenarios.

  6. Apply Knowledge to Quiz Challenges -

    Leverage your understanding from this human circulatory system quiz to tackle advanced artery vein nerve test questions and boost your anatomy IQ.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Arteries vs Veins Distinction -

    Arteries pump oxygen-rich blood away from the heart under high pressure, featuring thick elastic walls, while veins return deoxygenated blood with one-way valves to prevent backflow. Remember the mnemonic "AWAY" (Arteries AWAY, Veins toward the heart) to ace your veins, nerves & arteries quiz with confidence (American Heart Association).

  2. Nerve Fiber Types and Conduction Speed -

    Myelinated A-fibers conduct impulses up to 120 m/s for rapid reflexes, whereas unmyelinated C-fibers throttle down to ~1 m/s, influencing pain and temperature signals. Use the catchy phrase "FAST A, Creep C" to recall which fibers are fast and which are slow (Society for Neuroscience).

  3. Systemic vs Pulmonary Circulation -

    Systemic circulation carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle through the aorta to body tissues, returning deoxygenated blood via the vena cavae to the right atrium; pulmonary circulation then sends it to the lungs via pulmonary arteries and back via pulmonary veins. The "Lungs-On-Top" mnemonic - Left pump Out, Right pump To the lungs - simplifies this dual-loop system (Guyton and Hall Medical Physiology).

  4. Capillary Exchange and Fick's Law -

    Gas and nutrient exchange at capillary beds follows Fick's law: Rate = (Surface Area × Concentration Gradient) / Wall Thickness, optimizing diffusion where surface area is vast and barriers are thin. Picture a fishnet of tiny tubes maximizing contact to master your blood vessel anatomy quiz (Journal of Applied Physiology).

  5. Autonomic Innervation of Heart and Vessels -

    Sympathetic activation releases norepinephrine to boost heart rate and induce vasoconstriction, elevating blood pressure, while parasympathetic (vagus nerve) release acetylcholine to slow the heart and promote vasodilation. Recall "SNS up, PNS pet" to distinguish fight-or-flight from rest-and-digest responses (NIH National Library of Medicine).

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