Blood Vessels and Their Functions

Vascular System Overview

Introduction to Blood Vessels

• Textbook and Models Utilized:
  • Textbook
  • Lab manual
  • Charts
  • Torso models
  • Arm and leg models
  • Heart models
  • Wire models

Major Arteries and Their Functions

• Ascending Aorta:

  • Function: Receives blood from the left ventricle.

• Aortic Arch:

  • Function: Supplies blood to the head, neck, upper limbs, and thoracic wall.

• Descending Aorta:

  • Becomes:
  • Thoracic Aorta: Distributes blood to the thorax.
  • Abdominal Aorta: Distributes blood to the abdominal organs.

• Branches of the Aortic Arch:

  • Brachiocephalic Artery:
  • Function: Branches from the aortic arch; further divides into:
    • Right subclavian artery.
    • Right common carotid artery.
  • Left Common Carotid Artery:
  • Position: Middle blood vessel of the aortic arch branches.
  • Left Subclavian Artery:
  • Position: Leftmost blood vessel of the aortic arch branches.

• Pulmonary Trunk:

  • Function: Receives less oxygenated blood from the right ventricle.
  • Pulmonary Arteries: Deliver less-oxygenated blood to the lungs.

Head and Neck Vessels

• Branches of the Brachiocephalic Artery:
  • Right Common Carotid Artery:
  • Right Internal Carotid Arteries:
    • Supply: Orbits and more than 80% of the cerebrum.
    • Middle Cerebral Artery: Supplies lateral parts of the parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes of the brain.
    • Anterior Cerebral Artery: Supplies medial surfaces of the frontal and parietal lobes; anastomoses on the opposite side through a short shunt called the anterior communicating artery.
    • Anterior Communicating Artery:
      • Function: Connects the two anterior cerebral arteries.
  • Right External Carotid Arteries:
    • Facial Arteries: Supply skin and muscles of the anterior face.
  • Right Subclavian Artery:
  • Vertebral Arteries: Supply vertebrae, cervical spinal cord, and deep neck structures; joins the basilar artery in the cranium.
    • Basilar Artery: Supplies the cerebellum, pons, and inner ear.
    • Posterior Cerebral Artery: Supplies occipital lobes and the inferior parts of the temporal lobes.
    • Posterior Communicating Arteries: Join the middle cerebral artery and posterior cerebral artery anteriorly.

Upper Extremities Vessels

• Right and Left Subclavian Arteries:
  • Function: Become the axillary arteries.
• Right and Left Axillary Arteries:
  • Function: Supply the axilla, chest wall, and shoulder girdles.
• Right and Left Brachial Arteries:
  • Function: Supply anterior flexor muscles of the arm.
• Right and Left Radial Arteries:
  • Function: Branch into deep palmar arteries; supply lateral forearm, index finger, thumb, and wrist.
  • Deep Palmar Arches: Supply the digits/fingers.
• Right and Left Ulnar Arteries:
  • Function: Supply the medial forearm and index finger.
  • Superficial Palmar Arches: Supply the digits/fingers.

Thoracic and Abdominal Cavity Vessels

• Intercostal Arteries:
  • Function: Supply the ribs.
• Lumbar Arteries:
  • Function: Supply the posterior abdominal wall.
• Celiac Trunk: Branches into:
  • Common Hepatic Artery: Supplies stomach, duodenum, and pancreas.
  • Splenic Artery: Supplies spleen, stomach, and pancreas.
  • Left Gastric Artery: Supplies parts of the stomach and lower esophagus.
• Superior Mesenteric Artery:
  • Function: Supplies the small intestine.
  • Right Colic Artery: Supplies the colon.
• Renal Arteries:
  • Function: Supply the kidneys.
• Gonadal Arteries:
  • Male: Testicular arteries supply testes.
  • Female: Ovarian arteries supply ovaries.
• Inferior Mesenteric Artery:
  • Loops around the superior mesenteric artery; supplies distal parts of the large intestine.
  • Left Colic Artery: Supplies distal parts of the large intestine.

Lower Extremities Vessels

• Right and Left Common Iliac Arteries:
  • Supply lower abdominal wall, pelvic organs, and lower limbs.
• Internal Iliac Arteries:
  • Supply pelvic wall, gluteal muscles, and viscera.
• External Iliac Arteries:
  • Supply lower limbs.
  • Femoral Arteries: Supply thigh muscles.
  • Popliteal Arteries: Supply the knee; splits into tibial arteries.
    • Right and Left Posterior Tibial Arteries: Supply flexor muscles of the leg.
    • Right and Left Anterior Tibial Arteries: Supply extensor muscles of the leg.
    • Right and Left Dorsalis Pedis Arteries: Supply the ankle and dorsum of the foot.
    • Right and Left Fibular (Peroneal) Arteries: Supply lateral fibular muscles of the leg.

Veins

• Superior Vena Cava:
  • Collects blood from the upper parts of the body; empties into the right atrium.
• Inferior Vena Cava:
  • Collects blood from the lower parts of the body; empties into the right atrium.
• Pulmonary Veins:
  • Transport oxygenated blood to the left atrium.
• Brachiocephalic Veins (Left & Right):
  • Join to form the superior vena cava.
• Internal Jugular Veins + Subclavian Veins:
  • Combine to form the brachiocephalic veins.
• Veins Without Valves (Venous Sinuses):
  • Superior Sagittal Sinus + Straight Sinus: Empty into the transverse sinus.
  • Inferior Sagittal Sinus: Empties into the straight sinus.
  • Transverse Sinus: Empties into the sigmoid sinus.
  • Sigmoid Sinus: Empties into the internal jugular vein.
• External Jugular Veins:
  • Drain/collect blood from the scalp and face; empty into subclavian veins.
• Subclavian Veins + Internal Jugular Veins:
  • Form the brachiocephalic veins.
• Axillary Veins:
  • Become the subclavian veins.
• Brachial Veins + Basilic Veins:
  • Form the axillary veins.
• Radial Veins + Ulnar Veins:
  • Form the brachial veins.

Superficial Veins

• Cephalic Veins:

  • Join with the axillary veins.

• Basilic Veins:

  • Join with the brachial vein to form the axillary vein.

• Median Cubital Veins:

  • Connect the basilic vein and cephalic vein.

• Variations:

  • Median Antebrachial Vein: Found between the radial and ulnar veins; empties into cephalic vein or basilic vein.
  • Median Basilic Vein: Connects to the basilic vein.
  • Median Cephalic Vein: Connects to the cephalic vein.

• Intercostal Veins: Drain the ribs.

• Azygos Vein: Drains the thorax.

• Hemiazygos Vein:

  • Drains lumbar veins, mediastinal veins, subcostal veins; located on the left side of the vertebral column, mimicking the inferior part of the azygos vein on the right.

• Renal Veins: Drain the kidneys.

• Hepatic Vein:

  • Drains/collects blood from the liver and returns venous blood to the inferior vena cava.

• Hepatic Portal Vein:

  • Drains the GI tract; delivers blood to the liver.

• Superior Mesenteric Vein:

  • Drains the entire small intestine, parts of the large intestine, and stomach.

• Inferior Mesenteric Vein:

  • Drains distal parts of the large intestine and rectum.

• Splenic Vein:

  • Drains the spleen, stomach, and pancreas.

• Gastric Vein:

  • Drains the stomach.

• Gonadal Veins:

  • Right gonadal vein: Empties into the inferior vena cava.
  • Left gonadal vein: Empties into the renal vein.

• Common Iliac Veins:

  • Formed from internal iliac vein and external iliac vein; connects to the inferior vena cava.

• Internal Iliac Veins:

  • Drain blood from the viscera, gluteal muscles, and pelvic wall.

• External Iliac Veins + Internal Iliac Vein:

  • Form the common iliac vein.

• Femoral Veins:

  • Drain the thigh muscles; become the external iliac vein.

• Popliteal Veins:

  • Drain the knee and empties into femoral vein.

• Posterior Tibial Veins:

  • Receive blood from fibular veins.

• Anterior Tibial Veins:

  • Continuous with the dorsalis pedis; join posterior tibial vein at the knee.

• Fibular Veins:

  • Empty into the posterior tibial veins.

Superficial Veins of the Leg

• Great Saphenous Veins:
  • Longest veins in the leg; empty into femoral vein.
• Small Saphenous Veins:
  • Drain the deep fascia of calf muscles; empty into popliteal vein.