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Portal Circulation
Portal System
A system wherein the venous blood starts from the capillary bed and conveys the blood to another capillary system instead of to the heart
Venous blood from abdominal digestive organs, the spleen and pancreas are drained into the liver.
Passing through another capillary bed (hepatic sinisoids) blood enters the inferior vena cava through the hepatic veins thence into the heart
Thus blood with high concentraion of nutrient materials absorbed from the stomach and intestines goes to the liver first for metabolism.
Portal vein
Superior mesenteric vein unites with the the splenic vein and forms the portal vein
The following veins return venous blood through the portal vein : -
Splenic vein
(Inferior mesenteric vein - indirectly through splenic vein)
Superior mesenteric vein
gastric veins
cystic vein
The splenic vein drains - blood from the spleen, the pancreas and part of the stomach.
The superior mesenteric vein - blood from small intestine and the proximal colon - caecum, ascending and transverse colon.
The inferior mesenteric vein - blood from rectum, pelvic and descending colon. It joins the splenic vein
The gastric veins - glood from the stomach and the distal end of the oesophagus, then joins the portal vein.
The cystic vein - from gall bladder - joins the portal vein directly
Hepatic vein
very short veins - blood from liver into the IVC
Topic - Index - Anatomy - Gastrointestinal System