Hows that blood get around?

Throughout our body we have many many arteries and veins. An artery carries blood away from the heart, and veins carry blood to the heart. Don't confuse the PULMONARY ARTERY to be a vein just because its deoxygenated blood... just trust the definitions. Arteries = Blood away from the heart, and Veins = Blood towards the heart. The Pulmonary Artery carries blood away from the heart to the lungs where it then gets oxygenated and brought back to the heart :).

There is two main circulatory routes and they are the systemic circulation and the pulmonary circulation. The systemic carries oxgenated blood throughout the body to all locations, and the pulmonary carries deoxygenated blood back to the heart from all locations the blood is pumped to. If it doesn't ... there is a big problem.

Blood flow starts in the machine (the heart), and starts in the right ventricle as deoxygenated blood which travels to the pulmonary trunk to the right and left pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary arteries lead to each the right and the left lung which gain oxygen that we breath in, and return oxygenated blood to the left atrium (MAGIC!) through the corresponding right and left pulmonary veins. The Left atrium starts the pumping off to the rest of our body starting with the ascending aorta. The aorta is the largest artery of the body!


Blood Flow to Brain:

Brachiocephalic a.--> Rt. Common Carotid a.


Lt. Common Carotid a.
Rt./Lt. Internal Carotid aa.
Rt./Lt. Subclavian aa.-->
Rt./Lt. Vertebral aa.
Basilar a.

Circle of Willis:
Posterior & Anterior
Communicating aa.

Blood Flow from Brain:

Superior Sagittal Sinus
Confluence of Sinuses

Inferior Sagittal SinusàStraight Sinus
Rt./Lt. Tranverse Sinuses

Rt./Lt. Sigmoid sinuses
Rt./Lt. Internal Jugular vv.
Rt./Lt. Brachiocephalic vv.
Superior Vena Cava

Branches of the Abdominal Aorta:

Inferior Phrenic aa.--> Superior adrenal aa.
Celiac Trunk:
Lt. Gastric a.
Splenic a.
Common Hepatic a.--> Rt./Lt. Hepatic aa.
Rt./Lt. Middle Adrenal aa.
Rt./Lt. Renal aa.
Superior Mesenteric aa.
Rt./Lt. Gonadal aa.
Inferior Mesenteric a.
Rt./Lt. Lumbar aa.
Rt./Lt. Common Iliac aa.

Branches of the Inferior Vena Cava:
Inferior Phrenic vv.
Rt./Lt. Hepatic vv.
Rt./Lt. Renal vv.
Rt./Lt. Middle adrenal vv.
Rt./Lt. Gonadal vv.
Rt./Lt. Lumbar vv.
Rt./Lt. Common Iliac vv.

Liver Rt./Lt. Hepatic vv.Hepatic Portal Vein
Inferior Mesenteric v./Splenic v.
Superior Mesenteric v.

Blood Flow to Lower Extremity:
Rt./Lt. Common Iliac aa.
Rt./Lt. External Iliac aa.
Rt./Lt. Femoral aa.
Rt./Lt. Popliteal aa.
Rt./Lt. Ant. Tibial aa.
Rt./Lt. Dorsalis pedis artery
Rt./Lt. Posterior Tibial aa.
Rt./Lt. Fibular aa.
Rt./Lt. Medial/Lateral plantar aa.
Dorsal arch
Plantar arch
Digital aa.


Blood Flow from Lower Extremity:

Rt./Lt. Common Iliac vv.
Rt./Lt. External Iliac vv.
Rt./Lt. Femoral vv.
Rt./Lt. Deep femoral vv.
Rt./Lt. Popliteal vv.
Rt./Lt. Great saphenous vv.
Rt./Lt. Small saphenous vv.
Rt./Lt. Ant. Tibial vv.
Rt./Lt. Posterior Tibial vv.
Rt./Lt. Fibular vv.
Dorsal Venous arch
Plantar Venous arch Digital vv.


Blood Flow to the Upper Extremity:

Rt./Lt. Subclavian aa.
Rt./Lt. Axillary aa.
Rt./Lt. Brachial aa.
Rt./Lt. Radial aa.
Rt./Lt. Deep Palmar arch
Rt./Lt. Ulnar aa.
Rt./Lt. Superficial Palmar arch
Rt./Lt. Common Palmar Digital
Rt./Lt. Proper Palmar Digital

Blood Flow from the Upper Extremity:

Rt./Lt. Subclavian vv.
Rt./Lt. Axillary vv.
Rt./Lt. Cephalic vv.
Rt./Lt. Accessory Cephalic vv.
Rt./Lt. Basilic vv.
Rt./Lt. Dorsal Venous arch
Rt./Lt. Dorsal Digital
Rt./Lt. Brachial vv.
Rt./Lt. Radial vv.
Rt./Lt. Deep Palmar Venous arch
Rt./Lt. Ulnar vv.
Rt./Lt. Superficial Palmar Venous arch
Rt./Lt. Median Cubital vv.
Rt./Lt. Median Antebrachial vv.
Rt./Lt. Palmar Venous Plexous


This all relates to me in my everyday life because it is important for what I want to do with my career. I'm in the Surgical Technology Program and hoping to continue into Physican's Assistant. If I can not detect major arteries and veins I'm going to be in trouble, so I'm glad I learned them!!!