Brachiocephalic artery

Brachiocephalic Artery

The brachiocephalic artery and its branches.

The brachiocephalic artery (or innominate artery) is a major blood vessel of the mediastinum in the thoracic cavity. It is the first and largest artery branching from the aortic arch, and supplies blood to the right arm and the head and neck.

Structure

The brachiocephalic artery originates from the aortic arch, and travels upwards and to the right. It is approximately 4-5 cm long in adults. It terminates by dividing into the right common carotid artery and the right subclavian artery.

Function

The brachiocephalic artery carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the right side of the neck, head, and arm. It is a vital part of the circulatory system.

Clinical significance

Due to its location and size, the brachiocephalic artery is often involved in traumatic injuries and various medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis and aneurysm.

See also

• Aorta
• Carotid artery
• Subclavian artery

External links

• AnatomyExpert

‎

---

Translate: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, தமிழ், తెలుగు, Urdu, ಕನ್ನಡ, Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, বাংলা
European español, Deutsch, français, Greek, português do Brasil, polski, română, русский, Nederlands, norsk, svenska, suomi, Italian
Middle Eastern & African عربى, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Kiswahili,
Other Bulgarian, Hungarian, Czech, Swedish, മലയാളം, मराठी, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, ગુજરાતી, Portuguese, Ukrainian