| Venae cavae | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D014684 |
| FMA | 321896 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Inanatomy, thevenae cavae (/ˈviːniˈkeɪvi/;[1]sg.vena cava/ˈviːnəˈkeɪvə/; from Latin 'hollow veins')[2] are two largeveins (great vessels) that return deoxygenatedblood from the body into theheart. In humans they are thesuperior vena cava and theinferior vena cava, and both empty into theright atrium.[3] They are located slightly off-center, toward the right side of the body.
The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood throughcoronary sinus and two large veins called venae cavae. The inferior vena cava (or caudal vena cava in some animals) travels up alongside theabdominal aorta with blood from the lower part of the body. It is the largest vein in the human body.[4]
The superior vena cava (or cranial vena cava in animals) is above the heart, and forms from a convergence of the left and rightbrachiocephalic veins, which contain blood from the head and the arms.
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