Portal vein

The portal vein is the largest vein in the human body draining blood from the digestive system and its associated glands. It is formed by the union of the

Related Topics:
Vein - Digestive system - Gland

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• splenic vein and
• superior mesenteric vein

and divides into a right and a left branch, before entering the liver.

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Note that the portal vein drains blood into the liver, not from the liver. The blood (entering the liver) from the portal vein, after being cleaned by the liver, flows into the inferior vena cava via the hepatic veins. The inferior mesenteric vein does not directly connect to the portal vein; it drains into the splenic vein.

Related Topics:
Liver - Inferior vena cava - Hepatic vein - Inferior mesenteric vein

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A second portal vein system connects hypothalamus and pituitary thus transferring releasing hormones with high concentration to the anterior pituitary lobe.

Related Topics:
Hypothalamus - Pituitary - Releasing hormone

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Portal vein: Tributaries ►