Artery properties and blood flow

Steps:

• Statement 1 is correct: Artery walls are thick and elastic to withstand high pressure from the heart's pumping.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The heart pumps blood; arteries carry it away under pressure.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: It garbles blood flow—arteries carry blood out of the heart, veins return it; no pumping by veins.
• Statement 4 is correct: The pulse reflects the heart's surge expanding elastic artery walls.

Why C is correct:

• C selects statements 1 and 4, matching the definitions of arteries' structural adaptations for high-pressure transport and pulsatile flow.

Why the others are wrong:

• A includes 2, falsely attributing pumping to arteries.
• B includes nonexistent 5 and incorrect 3 on blood flow.
• D includes false 2 and garbled 3.

Final answer: C