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| Vein: Venae Cavae | |
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| #3 is superior vena cava #11 is inferior vena cava |
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| Gray's | subject #172 |
| MeSH | Venae+Cavae |
The superior and inferior vena cava are collectively called the venae cavae. They are the veins that return deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart. They both empty into the right atrium.
The inferior vena cava (or posterior vena cava) travels up alongside the abdominal aorta with blood from the lower part of the body. It is the largest vein in the body.[1]
The superior vena cava (or anterior) 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.
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- This page was last modified on 26 August 2008, at 19:10.
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