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Table 2013 The Hepatic Portal System

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The hepatic portal system connects capillaries of the Intestines and other digestive organs to the hepatic sinusoids of the liver. The Intestinal blood Is richly laden with nutrients for a few hours following a meal. The hepatic portal system gives the liver "first claim" to these nutrients before the blood is distributed to the rest of the body. It also allows the blood to be cleansed of bacteria and toxins picked up from the intestines, an important function of the liver. The route from the intestines to the inferior vena cava follows (fig. 20.37):

1. The inferior mesenteric vein receives blood from the rectum and distal part of the large intestine. It converges in a fanlike array in the mesentery and empties into the splenic vein.

2. The superior mesenteric vein receives blood from the entire small intestine, ascending colon, transverse colon, and stomach. It, too, exhibits a fanlike arrangement in the mesentery and then joins the splenic vein to form the hepatic portal vein.

3. The splenic vein drains the spleen and travels across the abdominal cavity toward the liver. Along the way, it picks up the pancreatic veins from the pancreas and the inferior mesenteric vein. It changes name when it joins the superior mesenteric vein, as explained next.

Figure 20.37 Veins of the Hepatic Portal System and Its Tributaries. (a) Flowchart. (continued)

Saladin: Anatomy & I 20. The Circulatory System: I Text I © The McGraw-Hill

Physiology: The Unity of Blood Vessels and Companies, 2003

Form and Function, Third Circulation Edition

Chapter 20 The Circulatory System: Blood Vessels and Circulation 789