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All Major Veins of the Human Body

• Pulmonary veins - carry oxygenated blood (from lungs to left atrium)
• Umbilical vein (fetal only) - carries oxygenated blood from placenta to fetus

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1. PULMONARY VEINS (Oxygenated)

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2. VEINS OF THE HEAD & NECK (Deoxygenated)

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3. VEINS OF THE UPPER LIMB (Deoxygenated)

Deep Veins

Superficial Veins

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4. VEINS OF THE THORAX (Deoxygenated)

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5. VEINS OF THE ABDOMEN (Deoxygenated unless noted)

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) system

Portal Venous System (Deoxygenated - carries nutrient-rich blood from gut)

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6. VEINS OF THE LOWER LIMB (Deoxygenated)

Deep Veins

Superficial Veins

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Summary: Oxygenated vs. Deoxygenated

Note: The portal vein is sometimes considered separately - it carries deoxygenated but nutrient-rich blood from the gut to the liver. It is still deoxygenated.

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🫀 Blood Flow Diagram (Simplified)

BODY TISSUES
     |
     | (deoxygenated blood)
     ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  SUPERIOR VENA CAVA             │  ← from upper body (head, arms, chest)
│  INFERIOR VENA CAVA             │  ← from lower body (abdomen, legs)
└────────────┬────────────────────┘
             ↓
     RIGHT ATRIUM
             ↓
     RIGHT VENTRICLE
             ↓
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│  RIGHT PULMONARY ARTERY        │ → right lung
│  LEFT PULMONARY ARTERY         │ → left lung
└────────────────────────────────┘
             ↓
         (in lungs: CO₂ out, O₂ in)
             ↓
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│  RIGHT PULMONARY VEIN          │ ← right lung
│  LEFT PULMONARY VEIN           │ ← left lung
└────────────┬───────────────────┘
             ↓
      LEFT ATRIUM
             ↓
      LEFT VENTRICLE
             ↓
          AORTA
             ↓
       ARCH OF AORTA
             ↓
    (branches to whole body)
             ↓
       BODY TISSUES

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📊 Main Vessels - Simple Table

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🔑 One Rule to Remember

Arteries away from heart, Veins return to heart. Only the pulmonary vessels are "backwards" - pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated, pulmonary vein carries oxygenated.

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Arch of Aorta - Simplified

What & Where

• It is the curved part of the aorta that sits in the superior mediastinum (upper chest), behind the manubrium of the sternum
• It begins where the ascending aorta exits the heart's pericardial sac
• It curves upward, backward, and to the left
• It ends at the level of vertebra T4/T5 on the left side, where it becomes the descending (thoracic) aorta
• Blood type: ✅ Oxygenated (all parts of the aorta carry oxygenated blood)

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Flow Diagram

LEFT VENTRICLE
      ↓
ASCENDING AORTA
      ↓
ARCH OF AORTA  ──────────────────────┐
  (curves left, at level of T4/T5)   │
      ↓                              │
DESCENDING AORTA          3 Branches off the top:
                          1. Brachiocephalic Trunk
                          2. Left Common Carotid Artery
                          3. Left Subclavian Artery

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3 Branches of the Arch - Table

All three branches are crossed in front by the left brachiocephalic vein.

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One Extra Structure - Ligamentum Arteriosum

• A small fibrous cord connecting the arch of aorta to the left pulmonary artery
• In the fetus it was a real open vessel called the ductus arteriosus - it allowed blood to bypass the lungs (since the fetus doesn't breathe)
• After birth, it closes and becomes just a ligament

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Aorta Summary (all 3 parts together)

LEFT VENTRICLE
      ↓
ASCENDING AORTA   → gives off: Left & Right Coronary arteries (heart supply)
      ↓
ARCH OF AORTA     → gives off: Brachiocephalic trunk, Left carotid, Left subclavian
      ↓
DESCENDING AORTA  → gives off: Intercostal arteries, Bronchial arteries, then
      ↓             passes through diaphragm → becomes Abdominal Aorta
ABDOMINAL AORTA   → gives off: Celiac trunk, Mesenteric arteries, Renal arteries, etc.