Can you Trace blood flow from kidney to small intestine?
The path of blood flow from the kidney to the small intestine involves several steps and passes through various blood vessels. Here is the tracing of blood flow:
1. Renal Artery: Oxygenated blood enters the kidney through the renal artery, which branches off from the abdominal aorta.
2. Glomerulus: Within the kidney, the renal artery branches into smaller vessels called afferent arterioles, which lead to the glomerulus. The glomerulus is a network of capillaries where blood is filtered, and waste products are removed.
3. Renal Vein: After passing through the glomerulus, blood exits the kidney via efferent arterioles, which merge to form the renal vein. The renal vein carries deoxygenated blood away from the kidney.
4. Inferior Vena Cava: The renal vein joins the inferior vena cava, a large blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body back to the heart.
5. Right Atrium: The inferior vena cava empties into the right atrium of the heart.
6. Right Ventricle: From the right atrium, the blood flows into the right ventricle, the lower right chamber of the heart.
7. Pulmonary Artery: The right ventricle pumps the deoxygenated blood into the pulmonary artery, which carries it to the lungs for oxygenation.
8. Pulmonary Capillaries: Inside the lungs, the blood passes through tiny blood vessels called pulmonary capillaries, where it picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
9. Pulmonary Vein: Oxygenated blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins, which empty into the left atrium.
10. Left Atrium: The oxygenated blood flows from the left atrium into the left ventricle, the lower left chamber of the heart.
11. Aorta: The left ventricle pumps the oxygenated blood into the aorta, the largest artery in the body.
12. Celiac Artery: The aorta branches into several arteries, including the celiac artery, which supplies blood to the abdominal organs, including the small intestine.
13. Superior Mesenteric Artery: The celiac artery further branches into the superior mesenteric artery, which specifically supplies blood to the small intestine.
14. Small Intestine: The superior mesenteric artery divides into smaller vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the walls of the small intestine.
15. Intestinal Capillaries: Within the small intestine, the blood vessels branch into capillaries, allowing the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste products between the blood and the intestinal tissue.
16. Intestinal Veins: After delivering oxygen and nutrients, the blood exits the small intestine through small veins, which merge to form larger veins.
17. Superior Mesenteric Vein: The veins from the small intestine unite to form the superior mesenteric vein.
18. Portal Vein: The superior mesenteric vein joins the splenic vein and forms the portal vein. The portal vein carries blood from the small intestine, stomach, pancreas, and spleen to the liver.
19. Liver: The portal vein brings nutrient-rich blood to the liver for processing and detoxification.
20. Hepatic Veins: From the liver, the hepatic veins carry the processed blood back to the inferior vena cava, completing the circulatory loop and returning blood to the heart.
In summary, the path of blood flow from the kidney to the small intestine involves several stages, including blood filtration in the kidney, return to the heart, oxygenation in the lungs, and circulation to the small intestine for nutrient delivery and waste product removal before returning to the liver for further processing.