Final answer:
The 'ST channel', assumed to be the celiac trunk, has three main branches: the left gastric artery, the splenic artery, and the common hepatic artery, which subsequently divides further.
Step-by-step explanation:
The abdominal aorta has several important branches but isn't referred to as the 'ST channel' in anatomical terminology. However, understanding the context, if by 'ST channel' the question refers to the celiac trunk and its branches, then the correct answer is that the celiac trunk distinctively divides into three main branches: the left gastric artery, the splenic artery, and the common hepatic artery.
The common hepatic artery further divides to give the hepatic artery proper which supplies the liver, right gastric artery for the stomach, cystic artery for the gall bladder, and has additional branches for the duodenum and pancreas. Including the subsequent branches after the initial three, the number increases, but the primary answer focuses on the major initial branches of the celiac trunk. Therefore, the correct answer in the anatomical context provided would be C. three branches.