hepatic arteries

(noun)

A blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the liver.

Related Terms

Examples of hepatic arteries in the following topics:

  • Blood Supply to the Liver

    • In the hepatic portal system, the liver receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic portal vein and the hepatic arteries.
    • In the hepatic portal system, the liver receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic portal vein and hepatic arteries.
    • The hepatic arteries supply arterial blood to the liver and account for the remainder of its blood flow.
    • Oxygen is provided from both sources; approximately half of the liver's oxygen demand is met by the hepatic portal vein, and half is met by the hepatic arteries.
    • An image of a liver with the hepatic veins labeled.

  • Anatomy of the Liver

    • The liver is connected to two large blood vessels, the hepatic artery and the portal vein.
    • The hepatic artery carries blood from the aorta to the liver, whereas the portal vein carries blood containing the digested nutrients from the entire gastrointestinal tract, and also from the spleen and pancreas to the liver.
    • Each lobule is made up of millions of hepatic cells that are the basic metabolic cells of the liver.

  • Hepatic Portal Circulation

    • The hepatic portal system is responsible for directing blood from parts of the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.
    • The hepatic portal system is the system of veins comprising the hepatic portal vein and its tributaries.
    • The hepatic portal vein supplies about 75% of the blood the liver requires, with the other 25% supplied by the hepatic artery.
    • Blood from the hepatic artery is oxygenated but nutrient-poor compared to that supplied by the hepatic portal vein.
    • Following processing, blood collects in a central vein that drains into the hepatic vein and finally the inferior vena cava.

  • The Liver

    • The liver is supplied by two main blood vessels on its right lobe: the hepatic artery and the portal vein.

  • Arteries, Veins, and Capillaries

    • Arteries take blood away from the heart.
    • The main artery is the aorta that branches into other major arteries, which take blood to different limbs and organs.
    • These major arteries include the carotid artery, which takes blood to the brain; the brachial arteries, which take blood to the arms; and the thoracic artery, which takes blood to the thorax and then into the hepatic, renal, and gastric arteries for the liver, kidneys, and stomach, respectively.
    • The iliac artery takes blood to the lower limbs.
    • The major arteries diverge into minor arteries, and then into smaller vessels called arterioles, to reach more deeply into the muscles and organs of the body.

  • Great Vessels of the Heart

    • Along the way up the body from the iliac veins, the renal and suprarenal veins (kidney and adrenal glands), lumbar veins (from the back), and hepatic veins (from the liver) all drain into the inferior vena cava.
    • The aorta is the largest of the arteries in systemic circulation.
    • The arch of aorta is the peak of the aorta, which breaks off into the left carotid artery, brachiocephalic trunk, and the left subclavian artery.
    • The abdominal aorta is the part of the descending aorta below the diaphragm, which divides into the iliac arteries and branches into the renal and suprarenal arteries.
    • These are the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood, and are considered arteries because they carry blood away from the heart.

  • Veins

    • The difference between veins and arteries is the direction of blood flow (out of the heart through arteries, back to the heart through veins), not their oxygen content.
    • Veins differ from arteries in structure and function.
    • For example, the hepatic portal vein takes blood from the capillary beds in the digestive tract and transports it to the capillary beds in the liver.
    • Since this is an important function in mammals, damage to the hepatic portal vein can be dangerous.
    • Blood clotting in the hepatic portal vein can cause portal hypertension, which results in a decrease of blood fluid to the liver.

  • Hepatitis

    • Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver.
    • Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver.
    • The most common cause of acute hepatitis is infection with the Hepatitis B, C, or D viruses.
    • Alcohol is a significant cause of hepatitis worldwide.
    • In acute hepatitis caused by the hepatitis viruses, often, the liver inflammation will subside when the viral illness has subsided.

  • Principal Veins

    • Superficial veins are located close to the surface of the body and have no corresponding arteries, such as the great saphenous vein which runs the length of the leg.
    • The deep veins lie deeper in the body and often run adjacent to corresponding arteries, such as the femoral vein which sits adjacent to the femoral artery in the thigh.
    • The renal and hepatic veins from the kidneys and liver respectively also feed into the inferior vena cava.
    • The hepatic portal vein carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.

  • Muscular Arteries

    • Distributing arteries are medium-sized arteries that draw blood from an elastic artery and branch into resistance vessels.
    • Muscular or distributing arteries are medium-sized arteries that draw blood from an elastic artery and branch into resistance vessels, including small arteries and arterioles.
    • The splenic artery (lienal artery), the blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the spleen, is an example of a muscular artery.
    • It branches from the celiac artery and follows a course superior to the pancreas.
    • Transverse section of the human spleen showing the distribution of the splenic artery and its branches