| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,902,473,570 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
inferior vena cava |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
Inferior vena cava The biggest vein in the body, returning blood to the heart from the lower half of the body. Mentioned in: Liver Transplantation, Portal Vein Bypass
inferior vena cava, the large vein that returns deoxygenated blood to the heart from parts of the body below the diaphragm. It is formed by the junction of the two common iliac veins to the right of the fifth lumbar vertebra and ascends along the vertebral column, pierces the diaphragm, and opens into the right atrium of the heart. As it passes through the diaphragm, it receives a covering of serous pericardium. The inferior vena cava contains a semilunar valve that is rudimentary in the adult but very large and important in the fetus. The vessel receives blood from the two common iliacs, the lumbar veins, and the testicular veins. Compare superior vena cava. vena [ve´nah] (pl. ve´nae) (L.) vein (see also Appendix 2-6). vena ca´va the inferior vena cava and superior vena cava considered as a unit. See Appendix 2-6. inferior vena cava the venous trunk for the lower extremities and the pelvic and abdominal viscera; it empties into the right atrium of the heart. See Appendix 2-6. superior vena cava the venous trunk draining blood from the head, neck, upper extremities, and chest; it empties into the right atrium of the heart. See Appendix 2-6. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Medical Dictionary |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup |
|---|