The ovaries have dual blood supply through the ovarian and uterine arteries. Which option expresses this pair?

• A. Ovarian and Uterine
• B. Ovarian and Internal Pudendal
• C. Uterine and Internal Iliac
• D. Ovarian and Vaginal

Answer: (A)

The ovaries receive blood from two sources, providing a dependable, collateral blood flow. The primary artery is the ovarian artery, a direct branch from the abdominal aorta that travels with the suspensory ligament to the ovary. The second source comes from the uterine artery, a branch of the internal iliac; it gives ovarian branches that reach the ovary and form anastomoses with the ovarian artery in the hilum and surrounding structures. This dual supply—ovarian and uterine arteries—explains why the ovaries are fed by both vessels rather than by just one.

The other options don’t fit because they involve vessels that mainly perfuse other pelvic regions: the internal pudendal supplies the perineum, the vaginal artery serves the vagina, and while the uterine and internal iliac arteries are part of pelvic circulation, the specific ovarian blood supply relies on the pairing of the ovarian artery and the ovarian branches of the uterine artery.