Major Arteries of the Systemic Circulation Major Arteries

Major Arteries of the Systemic Circulation

Major Arteries of the Systemic Circulation • Aorta - It is the largest artery of the body - Different parts of the aorta are named for their location or shape: Ascending aorta -> Aortic Arch -> Descending Thoracic Aorta -> Abdominal Aorta

Arterial Branches of the Ascending Aorta • The only branches of the ascending aorta are the right and left coronary arteries, which serve the heart

Arterial Branches of the Aortic Arch • Brachiocephalic artery: The first branch of the aortic arch - Brachiocephalic artery splits into the R. common carotid artery and R. subclavian artery • Left common carotid artery is the second branch of the aortic arch • Left subclavian artery: the third branch of the aortic arch

Arterial Branches of the Aortic Arch • The right common carotid divides into the R. internal carotid that serves the brain and the R. external carotid that serves the skin and muscles of the head and neck • The left common carotid divides the same way as the right common carotid

Arterial Branches of the Aortic Arch • The subclavian branches into the vertebral artery, which serves part of the brain • In the axilla, the subclavian artery becomes the axillary artery and then continues into the arm as the brachial artery which supplies the arm

Arterial Branches of the Aortic Arch • At the elbow, the brachial artery splits to form the radial and ulnar arteries, which serve the forearm

Arterial Branches of the Thoracic Aorta • The intercostal arteries (ten pairs) supply the muscles of the thorax wall • Other branches of the thoracic aorta supply the lungs (bronchial arteries), the esophagus (esophageal arteries), and the diaphragm (phrenic arteries)

Arterial Branches of the Abdominal Aorta • The celiac trunk is the first branch of the abdominal aorta - It has 3 branches: 1. Left gastric artery: supplies the stomach 2. Splenic artery: supply the spleen 3. Common hepatic artery supplies the liver

Arterial Branches of the Abdominal Aorta • The unpaired superior mesenteric artery supplies most of the small intestine and the first half of the large intestine or colon • The inferior mesenteric artery is a small unpaired artery supplying the second half of the large intestine • The renal (L and R) arteries serve the kidneys c

Arterial Branches of the Abdominal Aorta • The gonadal (R and L) arteries supply the gonads: they are called the ovarian arteries in females and the testicular arteries in males • The lumbar arteries are several pairs of arteries serving the heavy muscles of the abdomen and trunk walls c

Arterial Branches of the Abdominal Aorta • The common iliac arteries (L and R) are the final branches of the abdominal aorta: - each divides into an internal iliac artery, which supplies the pelvic organs and an external iliac artery which enters the thigh where it becomes the femoral artery - The femoral artery and its branch, the deep femoral artery serve thigh c c

Arterial Branches of the Abdominal Aorta • At the knee, the femoral artery becomes the popliteal artery, which then splits into the anterior and posterior tibial arteries, which supply the leg and foot • The anterior tibial artery terminates in the dorsalis pedis artery, which supplies the dorsum of the foot c c