Q9. What is the hepatic portal system, and how does blood flow through it?
What is the hepatic portal system, and how does blood flow through it?
The hepatic portal system is multiple blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood to the liver. Blood in the hepatic portal system first passes through the liver before returning to the heart. The purpose of the hepatic portal system is to allow the liver to process nutrients absorbed from the digestive system, filter toxins, and maintain metabolic homeostasis.
What is the hepatic portal system, and how does blood flow through it?
Normal circulation would begin at the heart and go from arteries, to arterioles, to capillaries, to venules, then veins, and back to the heart. A portal system adds additional steps so it begins at the heart, goes to arteries, proceeds to arterioles, enters capillaries, goes to venule, then to veins, then to another venule, then to more capillaries, then venules, veins, ending at the heart.
What is the hepatic portal system, how does blood flow through?
The hepatic portal system begins at the digestive tract, after oxygenated blood has been delivered. From digestive organs, deoxygenated blood will travel through the veins. The superior mesenteric vein carries blood from the intestines, inferior mesenteric vein drains from intestines and rectum, splenic vein drains from spleen and pancreas, left gastric vein drains from stomach, all these veins merge to form the hepatic portal vein, which proceeds to the liver. Finally, hepatic veins empty into inferior vena cava of the heart.
