Major arteries and their branches

What are the two branches of the pulmonary trunk?

The right pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery.

What is the function of the pulmonary arteries?

Carry oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

What are the two main branches of the ascending aorta?

The right coronary artery and left coronary artery.

What are the three branches of the aortic arch?

Brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid artery, and left subclavian artery.

What does the brachiocephalic trunk divide into?

The right common carotid artery and right subclavian artery.

What does the right common carotid artery supply?

Structures of the right side of the head and neck through its branches.

What does the left common carotid artery supply?

Structures of the left side of the head and neck through its branches.

What does the right subclavian artery supply?

The right upper limb and branches supplying portions of the neck, thoracic wall, and brain.

What does the left subclavian artery supply?

The left upper limb and branches supplying portions of the neck, thoracic wall, and brain.

What are the two main terminal branches of the common carotid arteries?

The internal carotid artery and external carotid artery.

What does the internal carotid artery primarily supply?

The brain and orbit.

What does the external carotid artery primarily supply?

Most external structures of the head and face and parts of the neck.

What are the eight commonly listed branches of the external carotid artery?

Superior thyroid, ascending pharyngeal, lingual, facial, occipital, posterior auricular, maxillary, and superficial temporal arteries.

What does the superior thyroid artery supply?

The thyroid gland and nearby structures.

What does the ascending pharyngeal artery supply?

The pharynx and nearby deep structures.

What does the lingual artery supply?

The tongue and floor of the mouth.

What does the facial artery supply?

Structures of the face.

What does the occipital artery supply?

The posterior scalp and nearby structures.

What does the posterior auricular artery supply?

Structures behind the ear and nearby scalp.

What does the maxillary artery supply?

Deep facial structures, teeth, nasal cavity, and parts of the dura mater.

What does the superficial temporal artery supply?

The superficial temporal region of the scalp.

What are major branches of the subclavian artery?

Vertebral artery, internal thoracic artery, thyrocervical trunk, costocervical trunk, and often the dorsal scapular artery.

What does the vertebral artery help supply?

The posterior brain and spinal cord; the two vertebral arteries join to form the basilar artery.

What does the internal thoracic artery supply?

The anterior thoracic wall and, through branches, portions of the anterior abdominal wall.

What is the Circle of Willis?

An arterial anastomotic ring at the base of the brain that helps provide alternate routes for cerebral blood flow.

What arteries are associated with the Circle of Willis?

Internal carotid arteries, anterior cerebral arteries, anterior communicating artery, posterior communicating arteries, and posterior cerebral arteries.

What connects the two anterior cerebral arteries?

The anterior communicating artery.

What connects the internal carotid circulation to the posterior cerebral circulation on each side?

The posterior communicating artery.

What forms the posterior cerebral arteries?

They typically arise from the basilar artery.

What are the main branches of the brachial artery?

The radial artery and ulnar artery, which are its terminal branches.

Where does the brachial artery begin?

As a continuation of the axillary artery at the lower border of the teres major muscle.

Where does the brachial artery divide?

Near the cubital fossa into the radial and ulnar arteries.

What does the radial artery supply?

The lateral forearm and parts of the hand, including contributions to the deep palmar arch.

What does the ulnar artery supply?

The medial forearm and parts of the hand, including a major contribution to the superficial palmar arch.

What are the superficial and deep palmar arches?

Arterial networks in the palm formed mainly by the ulnar and radial arteries and their branches.

Which artery mainly contributes to the superficial palmar arch?

The ulnar artery.

Which artery mainly contributes to the deep palmar arch?

The radial artery.

What is the abdominal aorta?

The continuation of the thoracic aorta after it passes through the diaphragm.

What are the three major unpaired anterior branches of the abdominal aorta that supply the digestive tract?

Celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery.

What are the three main branches of the celiac trunk?

Left gastric artery, splenic artery, and common hepatic artery.

What does the left gastric artery supply?

The lesser curvature of the stomach and lower esophagus.

What does the splenic artery supply?

The spleen and branches supplying the pancreas and stomach.

What does the common hepatic artery supply?

The liver through its hepatic branches and portions of the stomach, duodenum, and pancreas through other branches.

What is the usual route of the common hepatic artery toward the liver?

It gives rise to the proper hepatic artery, which supplies the liver; branching patterns can vary.

What does the superior mesenteric artery supply?

Most of the small intestine and the proximal large intestine.

What does the inferior mesenteric artery supply?

The distal large intestine, including the descending and sigmoid colon and upper rectum.

What do the renal arteries supply?

The kidneys.

What do the gonadal arteries supply?

The ovaries or testes.

What do the lumbar arteries supply?

The posterior abdominal wall and spinal structures.

What do the suprarenal arteries supply?

The adrenal glands.

What is the median sacral artery?

A small midline artery arising near the aortic bifurcation that supplies portions of the sacrum and coccyx.

What are the terminal branches of the abdominal aorta?

The right and left common iliac arteries.

What does each common iliac artery divide into?

The internal iliac artery and external iliac artery.

What does the internal iliac artery supply?

Pelvic organs, pelvic walls, gluteal region, and perineum through its branches.

What does the external iliac artery become?

The femoral artery after passing beneath the inguinal ligament.

What does the femoral artery supply?

The thigh and, through its branches, portions of the lower limb.

What does the femoral artery become as it passes through the adductor hiatus?

The popliteal artery.

Where is the popliteal artery located?

Behind the knee in the popliteal fossa.

What are the main terminal branches of the popliteal artery?

The anterior tibial artery and posterior tibial artery.

What does the anterior tibial artery supply?

The anterior compartment of the leg; it continues onto the foot as the dorsalis pedis artery.

What does the posterior tibial artery supply?

The posterior compartment of the leg and plantar foot through its branches.

What is the dorsalis pedis artery?

The continuation of the anterior tibial artery onto the dorsum of the foot.

How can you trace blood through the major arteries from the heart to the foot?

Left ventricle → aorta → common iliac artery → external iliac artery → femoral artery → popliteal artery → anterior or posterior tibial artery.