Pulse is felt due to the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the

Pulse is felt due to the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the

chambers of heart
valves present in veins
aorta and main arteries
valves of heart
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2024
The correct option is C) aorta and main arteries.
The pulse felt in arteries is the physical manifestation of the pressure wave generated by the left ventricle’s contraction (systole), which pumps blood into the aorta. This pressure wave travels rapidly along the elastic walls of the aorta and its arterial branches. The expansion and recoil of the artery walls in response to this pressure wave are what we feel as the pulse. It is most readily felt in superficial arteries like the radial artery, carotid artery, or femoral artery.
The rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart chambers pump blood, but the pulse is a phenomenon of the arterial system’s response to the ejection of blood under pressure. Heart valves ensure unidirectional flow within the heart and between the heart and the great vessels but do not create the palpable pulse wave in the arteries. Veins carry blood back to the heart under lower pressure and do not exhibit a significant pulse in healthy individuals.