Activity: Specimen Viewing on the Circulatory System’s Components 🔬🧐

Name of Specimen: Vena cava, section

Description:

A major vein called the vena cava gathers blood from the upper or lower part of the body. Blood flows into it from multiple smaller veins. The blood that the vena cava carries to the right side of the heart has had the oxygen removed from it. It returns the deoxygenated blood back to heart for it to become oxygenated again by the help of the lungs.

The vena cava has two types: the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. Venous blood from the head, neck, both upper limbs, and structures inside the thorax is contained in the superior vena cava. Meanwhile, blood from the legs, foot, and organs in the belly and pelvis is carried by the inferior vena cava.

It is possible to develop a blockage in the inferior and superior vena cava that hinders blood flow via them. Depending on whether portion of the vena cava is blocked, this condition is sometimes known as superior vena cava syndrome or inferior vena cava syndrome.

References:

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Vena cava. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22619-vena-cava

Teach Me Anatomy. (n.d.). The Superior Vena Cava. https://teachmeanatomy.info/thorax/vasculature/superior-vena-cava/

Tucker, W. D., Shrestha, R., & Burns, B. (2024). Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Inferior Vena Cava. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482353/#