Aorta

The largest artery in the human body, the aorta originates from the left ventricle of the heart and brings oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation. Aorta - The course of the aorta. The aorta is usually divided into several segments. The portion above the diaphragm (in the thorax) is called the thoracic aorta and is sometimes further subdivided into the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending (thoracic) aorta. The portion below the diaphragm (in t ...

Including:

• Aorta - The course of the aorta
• Aorta - Thoracic aorta
• Aorta - Abdominal aorta
• Aorta - Features
• Aorta - Diseases

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The aorta is usually divided into several segments. The portion above the diaphragm (in the thorax) is called the thoracic aorta and is sometimes further subdivided into the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending (thoracic) aorta. The portion below the diaphragm (in the abdomen) is known as the abdominal aorta. Aorta - Thoracic aorta. The initial part of the aorta, the ascending aorta, rises out of the left ventricle, from which it is separated by the aortic valve. The two coronary arteries of the heart arise from the aorti ...

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Aorta, Aorta - The course of the aorta, Aorta - Thoracic aorta, Aorta - Abdominal aorta, Aorta - Features, Aorta - Diseases

Read more here: » Aorta: Encyclopedia II - Aorta - The course of the aorta

Capillaries are the smallest of a body's blood vessels, measuring 5-10 μm. They connect arteries and veins, and most closely interact with tissues. Capillaries have walls composed of a single layer of cells, the endothelium. This layer is so thin that molecules such as oxygen, water and lipids can pass through them by diffusion and enter the tissues. Waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea can diffuse back into the blood to be carried away for removal from the body. Capillary permeability can be increased by the release of cer ...

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• Capillary - Types
• Capillary - Details

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The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. The most important types, arteries and veins, are so termed because they carry blood away from or towards the heart, respectively. Blood vessel - Types. Blood vessels exist in varying calibers: Arteries Aorta (the largest artery, carries blood out of the heart) Branches of the aorta, such as the carotid artery, the subclavian artery, the celiac trunk, the mesenteric arteri ...

Including:

• Blood vessel - Types
• Blood vessel - Anatomy
• Blood vessel - Physiology
• Blood vessel - Role in disease

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An arteriole is a blood vessel that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries. Arterioles have thick muscular walls and are the primary site of vascular resistance. The mean blood pressure in the arteries supplying the body is a result of the interaction between the cardiac output (the volume of blood the heart is pumping per minute) and the vascular resistance, usually termed total peripher ...

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Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Medical terms related to blood often begin in hemo- or hemato- (BE: haemo- and haemato-) from the Greek word "haima" for "blood". The main function of blood is to supply nutrients (oxygen, glucose) and constitutional elements to tissues and to remove waste products (such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid). Blood also enables cells (leukocytes, abnormal tumor cells) and different su ...

Including:

• Blood - Anatomy of blood
• Blood - Physiology of blood
• Blood - Production and degradation
• Blood - Transport of oxygen
• Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide
• Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions
• Blood - Color
• Blood - Health and disease
• Blood - Ancient medicine
• Blood - Diagnosis
• Blood - Pathology
• Blood - Treatment
• Blood - Mythology and religion
• Blood - Indo-European paganism
• Blood - Judaism
• Blood - Christianity
• Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses
• Blood - Vampire legends
• Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

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The celiac artery, also known as the celiac trunk, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta. It supplies oxygenated blood to the liver, stomach, spleen, duodenum and the pancreas. Shortly after its formation, the celiac artery divides into the: left gastric artery, common hepatic artery and splenic artery. The celiac artery is the only major artery nourishing the abdominal digestive organs that does not have a similarly named vein (i.e. the superior mesenteric a ...

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In biology, a vein is a blood vessel which returns blood from the microvasculature to the heart. Veins form part of the circulatory system. The vessels carrying blood away from the heart are known as arteries. Vein - Biological Vein. Veins have one-way valves to prevent backflow caused by gravity. In systemic circulation de-oxygenated blood from the capillary blood vessels is taken by veins to the right part of the heart. Differently, in the pulmonary circulation oxygenated blood from the lun ...

Including:

• Vein - Biological Vein

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The superior and inferior venae cavae are the veins that return the blood from the body into the heart. They both empty into the right atrium. The inferior vena cava travels up alongside the abdominal aorta with blood from the lower part of the body. The superior vena cava is above the heart, and forms from a convergence of the left and right brachiocephalic veins that contain blood from the head and the arms. The vena cava carries blood from the body to the ri ...

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A venule is a small blood vessel that allows blood to return from the capillary beds to the larger blood vessels called veins. Venules have three layers: An inner endothelium composed of squamous epithelial cells that act as a membrane, a middle layer of muscle and elastic tissue and an outer layer of fibrous connective tissue. The middle layer is poorly developed so that venules have thinner wal ...

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Arteries are muscular vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the tissues and organs of the body (The vessels which return blood to the heart are veins). The circulatory system is extremely important in sustaining life. Its proper functioning is responsible for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all cells, as well as the removal of carbon dioxide, waste products, maintenance of optimum pH, and the mobility of the elements, proteins and cells, of the immune system. In First World countries the two leading causes of ...

Including:

• Artery - Description
• Artery - Anatomy
• Artery - Types of arteries:
• Artery - Pulmonary arteries
• Artery - Systemic arteries
• Artery - The Aorta
• Artery - Arterioles
• Artery - Arterioles and blood pressure
• Artery - Capillaries
• Artery - Blood pressure
• Artery - See Also

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The portal vein drains: The posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein The right gastric vein The left gastric vein Also, the portal vein drains mostly the peritoneal organ and does not have a valve in it, whereas the caval (systemic) vein drains most of the retroperitoneal organ and has a valve. ...

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Portal vein, Portal vein - Tributaries, Portal vein - Physiology, Portal vein - Role in disease, Portal vein - External link

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Blood vessels exist in varying calibers: Arteries Aorta (the largest artery, carries blood out of the heart) Branches of the aorta, such as the carotid artery, the subclavian artery, the celiac trunk, the mesenteric arteries, the renal artery and the ileac artery. Arterioles Capillaries (the smallest blood vessels) Venules Veins Large collecting vessels, such as the subclavian vein, the jugular vein, the renal vein and the iliac vein. Venae cavae (the 2 largest veins, carry bl ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

Read more here: » Blood vessel: Encyclopedia II - Blood vessel - Types

Artery - Pulmonary arteries. The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen deficient blood that has just returned from the body to the lungs, where carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen. Artery - Systemic arteries. Systemic arteries deliver blood to the arterioles, and then to the capillaries, where nutrients and gasses are exchanged. Artery - The Aorta. The aorta is the root systemic artery. It receives blood directly ...

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Artery, Artery - Description, Artery - Anatomy, Artery - Types of arteries:, Artery - Pulmonary arteries, Artery - Systemic arteries, Artery - The Aorta, Artery - Arterioles, Artery - Arterioles and blood pressure, Artery - Capillaries, Artery - Blood pressure, Artery - See Also

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Blood - Production and degradation. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow; the process is termed hematopoiesis. The proteinaceous component is produced overwhelmingly in the liver, while hormones are produced by the endocrine glands and the watery fraction maintained by the gut and the kidney. Blood cells are degraded by the spleen and the Kupffer cells in the liver. The liver also clears proteins and amino acids (the kidney secretes many small proteins into the urine). Erythrocytes usually live up to 120 days before they are systematically replaced by new erythroc ...

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Blood, Blood - Anatomy of blood, Blood - Physiology of blood, Blood - Production and degradation, Blood - Transport of oxygen, Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide, Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions, Blood - Color, Blood - Health and disease, Blood - Ancient medicine, Blood - Diagnosis, Blood - Pathology, Blood - Treatment, Blood - Mythology and religion, Blood - Indo-European paganism, Blood - Judaism, Blood - Christianity, Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood - Vampire legends, Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

Read more here: » Blood: Encyclopedia II - Blood - Physiology of blood

Veins have one-way valves to prevent backflow caused by gravity. In systemic circulation de-oxygenated blood from the capillary blood vessels is taken by veins to the right part of the heart. Differently, in the pulmonary circulation oxygenated blood from the lungs is taken to the left part of the heart by pulmonary veins. Another special case is portal circulation where the portal vein transports blood rich in products of digestion from the intestines to the liver. Names of important veins: Pulmonary veins Portal vein Superior vena cava Inferior vena cava Femoral v ...

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Vein, Vein - Biological Vein

Read more here: » Vein: Encyclopedia II - Vein - Biological Vein

All blood vessels follow the same histological makeup. The inner lining is the endothelium, followed by subendothelial connective tissue. Then follows a muscular layer of vascular smooth muscle, which is highly developed in arteries. Finally, there is a further layer of connective tissue termed the adventitia, which contains nerves that supply the muscular layer, as well as nutrient capillaries in the larger blood vessel. Capillaries consist of little more than a layer of endot ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

Read more here: » Blood vessel: Encyclopedia II - Blood vessel - Anatomy

Blood vessels play a role in virtually every medical condition. Cancer, for example, cannot progress if the tumor does not cause angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) to supply the malignant cells' metabolic demand. Atherosclerosis, the formation of lipid lumps (atheromas) in the blood vessel wall, is the prime cause of cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death in the Western world. Blood vessel permeability is increased in inflammation. Damage, due to trauma or spontaneously, may lead to hemorrhage. In contrast, occlusi ...

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Blood vessel, Blood vessel - Types, Blood vessel - Anatomy, Blood vessel - Physiology, Blood vessel - Role in disease

Read more here: » Blood vessel: Encyclopedia II - Blood vessel - Role in disease

Blood - Ancient medicine. Hippocratic medicine considered blood one of the four humors (together with phlegm, yellow bile and black bile). As many diseases were thought to be due to an excess of blood, bloodletting and leeching were a common intervention until the 19th century (it is still used for some rare blood disorders). In classical Greek medicine, blood was associated with air, springtime, and with a merry and gluttonous (sanguine) personality. It was also believed to be produced exclusively by the liver. ...

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Blood, Blood - Anatomy of blood, Blood - Physiology of blood, Blood - Production and degradation, Blood - Transport of oxygen, Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide, Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions, Blood - Color, Blood - Health and disease, Blood - Ancient medicine, Blood - Diagnosis, Blood - Pathology, Blood - Treatment, Blood - Mythology and religion, Blood - Indo-European paganism, Blood - Judaism, Blood - Christianity, Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood - Vampire legends, Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

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Blood is composed of several kinds of corpuscles; these formed elements of the blood constitute about 45% of whole blood. The other 55% is blood plasma, a yellowish fluid that is the blood's liquid medium. The normal pH of human arterial blood is approximately 7.40. Blood is about 7% of the human body weight [1], so the average adult has a blood volume of about 5 liters, of which 2.7-3 liters is plasma. The combined surface area of all the erythrocytes in the human anatomy would be roughly 2,000 time ...

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Blood, Blood - Anatomy of blood, Blood - Physiology of blood, Blood - Production and degradation, Blood - Transport of oxygen, Blood - Transport of carbon dioxide, Blood - Transport of hydrogen ions, Blood - Color, Blood - Health and disease, Blood - Ancient medicine, Blood - Diagnosis, Blood - Pathology, Blood - Treatment, Blood - Mythology and religion, Blood - Indo-European paganism, Blood - Judaism, Blood - Christianity, Blood - Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood - Vampire legends, Blood - Chinese and Japanese culture

Read more here: » Blood: Encyclopedia II - Blood - Anatomy of blood