Final answer:
The femoral artery (option b) is the vessel that carries the entire blood supply for the leg except for the gluteal region, and it arises from the external iliac artery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The femoral artery (option b) is the main vessel that carries the entire blood supply for the leg, except for the gluteal region. It is a continuation of the external iliac artery, which branches off from the common iliac artery outside the body cavity. As the femoral artery descends, it supplies blood to the lower limbs, emitting several smaller branches, including the lateral deep femoral artery and the genicular artery, which supplies blood to the knee area. The femoral artery eventually becomes the popliteal artery as it passes posterior to the knee.