It's Topic Tuesday

Good morning everyone! We hope your week has been getting off to a great start so far.

Today we will be going over some anatomy of the great vessels of the heart.

What are the great vessels of the heart?

The great vessels of the heart include the aorta, pulmonary trunk, pulmonary veins, and vena cava (both superior and inferior). They connect directly to the heart and play a vital role in the circulatory system. These blood vessels send blood between the heart and lungs (pulmonary circuit) and between the heart and body (systemic circuit).

The great vessels work as a system of pipes or highways to keep blood moving in the correct pathways throughout the body. These vessels connect with various chambers of the heart to send blood in and out of the heart in a coordinated fashion each time the heart beats.

Cleveland Clinic

What do the great vessels of the heart do?

The great vessels play a crucial role in the circulatory system. There are two main circulatory system circuits: the pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit.

The pulmonary circuit sends blood between your heart and lungs. First, oxygen-poor blood travels from the heart to your lungs. At the lungs, the blood receives oxygen and gets rid of waste and carbon dioxide. This refreshed blood is then sent back to the heart to the systemic circuit.

The systemic circuit sends blood between the heart and the rest of the body. Oxygen-rich blood is pumped out of the heart and circulated throughout the body, where it delivers oxygen to the other organs and tissues of the body. It brings back blood that is low on oxygen to the heart.       

Specific role of the great vessels

Main pulmonary artery: Carries oxygen-poor blood from the heart’s right ventricle into the left and right pulmonary arteries to the lungs.

Pulmonary veins: Carry oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart.

Aorta: Carries oxygen-rich blood directly out of the heart’s left ventricle and into the aorta’s many branches to nourish the rest of the body.

Superior vena cava: Large vein that delivers oxygen-poor blood from the upper body into the  heart’s right atrium.

Inferior vena cava: Large vein that delivers oxygen-poor blood from the lower body into your heart’s right atrium.

The great vessels are made of three layers of tissue: the tunica intima (inner layer), tunica media (middle layer), and tunica adventitia (outer layer). The great vessels of the heart have a wider opening compared with the other vessels of the body. This is because these greater vessels need to be able to accommodate the heavy volume of blood flow and pressure from your heart’s pumping action.

And this is what we have for today's session! Join us back here next week and thanks for tuning in. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. Stay healthy!

Best,

Duc