What is the first major branch of the aortic arch?

• A. Left Pulmonary Artery
• B. Left Common Carotid Artery
• C. Anterior Interventricular Artery
• D. Brachiocephalic Trunk

Answer: (D)

The first major branch of the aortic arch is the brachiocephalic trunk. This vessel is the initial branch that splits to form the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries, supplying the right side of the head and neck and the right upper limb. After the brachiocephalic trunk, the arch typically gives off the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery, which supply the left side of the head/neck and the left upper limb, respectively. The other structures listed aren’t branches of the aortic arch: the left pulmonary artery is part of the pulmonary circulation from the right ventricle, and the anterior interventricular (left anterior descending) artery is a coronary artery arising from the left coronary artery, not from the arch.