DAA Exam 2 Practice

The smooth muscle of the walls of blood vessels is derived from which embryonic tissue?

Somatic mesoderm of the lateral plate Cardiac mesoderm Neural crest Endoderm

Correct Answer:

Somatic mesoderm of the lateral plate

Explanation:

Vascular smooth muscle comes from mesodermal tissue, specifically the mesenchyme surrounding developing vessels in the lateral plate mesoderm. As the primitive blood vessels form, these mesodermal cells differentiate into smooth muscle cells that encase the endothelial tube, giving the muscular layer of arteries and veins. The heart muscle arises from cardiac mesoderm, neural crest cells contribute to smooth muscle in some cranial vessels, and endoderm forms gut lining and related organs, not vascular smooth muscle. Therefore, the smooth muscle of vessel walls is derived from the somatic part of the lateral plate mesoderm.

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