List of veins

List of Veins

The human circulatory system is a complex network of blood vessels that includes arteries, veins, and capillaries. Veins are an essential component of this system, responsible for returning deoxygenated blood back to the heart from various parts of the body. This article provides a comprehensive list of veins, categorized by the regions they serve and their primary functions.

Head and Neck

• Internal jugular vein: Drains blood from the brain, the superficial parts of the face, and the neck.
• External jugular vein: Drains the outer parts of the face and the scalp.
• Vertebral vein: Drains the cervical spinal cord and the posterior part of the skull.

Upper Extremities

• Brachial vein: Accompanies the brachial artery and drains blood from the lower arm and hand.
• Cephalic vein: Runs along the radial side of the arm and drains into the axillary vein.
• Basilic vein: Located on the ulnar side of the arm, it also drains into the axillary vein.
• Median cubital vein: An important vein for venipuncture, it connects the cephalic and basilic veins.

Thorax

• Superior vena cava: A large diameter vein that receives blood from the upper body and empties into the right atrium of the heart.
• Inferior vena cava: Carries blood from the lower body to the right atrium.
• Azygos vein: Drains the thoracic wall and the upper lumbar region into the superior vena cava.
• Hemiazygos vein: A companion to the azygos vein, draining the lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions.

Abdomen

• Hepatic veins: Drain blood from the liver into the inferior vena cava.
• Renal veins: Drain the kidneys into the inferior vena cava.
• Portal vein: Carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract and spleen to the liver.

Pelvis and Lower Extremities

• Femoral vein: The major vein of the thigh, draining blood from the lower extremity into the external iliac vein.
• Great saphenous vein: The longest vein in the body, it runs along the length of the leg.
• Small saphenous vein: Drains the lateral surface of the leg.
• Popliteal vein: Forms from the confluence of the veins of the lower leg and drains into the femoral vein.

Special Circulatory Routes

• Pulmonary veins: A set of veins that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart, unique because they carry oxygen-rich blood, unlike most veins.

See Also

• Blood vessel
• Circulatory system
• Heart