Which of the following statements regarding blood pressure is FALSE?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) The pressure is much greater in veins than in arteries.

Correct answer explanation:

• The pressure is much greater in veins than in arteries is a false statement. The pressure in arteries is much higher than in veins.
• Arteries carry blood away from the heart under high pressure due to the force of ventricular contraction. In contrast, veins carry blood back to the heart under much lower pressure, aided by muscle contractions and valves that prevent backflow.
• The highest pressure occurs during ventricular contraction, known as systolic pressure, in the arteries.

Information about other options:

• The pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer: This statement is true. A sphygmomanometer is an instrument used to measure blood pressure. It typically consists of an inflatable cuff that wraps around the arm, a manometer to measure the pressure, and a bulb to inflate the cuff.
• The pressure during ventricular contraction is called systolic pressure and during ventricular relaxation is called diastolic pressure: This statement is true. During systole, the ventricles of the heart contract, pushing blood into the arteries, which results in systolic pressure (the higher number in a blood pressure reading). During diastole, the heart relaxes and the pressure decreases, which is the diastolic pressure (the lower number).
• The normal systolic pressure is about 120 mm of Hg and diastolic pressure is 80 mm of Hg: This statement is true. The normal blood pressure for a healthy adult is typically around 120/80 mm Hg, where 120 is the systolic pressure and 80 is the diastolic pressure. This is considered the standard or ideal blood pressure reading.

Information Booster:

• Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, an Austrian physician, invented the sphygmomanometer in 1881.