Pulmonary artery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Artery: Pulmonary artery | |
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Anterior (frontal) view of the opened heart. White arrows indicate normal blood flow. (Pulmonary artery labeled at upper right.) | |
Diagram of the alveoli with both cross-section and external view. | |
Latin | truncus pulmonalis, arteria pulmonalis |
Gray's | subject #141 543 |
Source | right ventricle |
Vein | pulmonary vein |
MeSH | A07.231.114.715 |
The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries (other than umbilical arteries in the fetus) that carry deoxygenated blood.
In the human heart, the pulmonary trunk (pulmonary artery or main pulmonary artery) begins at the base of the right ventricle. It is short and wide - approximately 5 cm (2 inches) in length and 3 cm (1.2 inches) in diameter. It then branches into two pulmonary arteries (left and right), which deliver deoxygenated blood to the corresponding lung.
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[edit] Role in disease
Pulmonary hypertension occurs alone and as a consequence of a number of lung diseases. It can be a consequence of heart disease (Eisenmenger's syndrome) but equally a cause (right-ventricular heart failure); it also occurs as a consequence of pulmonary embolism and scleroderma. It is characterised by reduced exercise tolerance. Severe forms, generally, have a dismal prognosis.
[edit] Additional images
[edit] See also
- Chronic obstructive lung disease
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Thromboembolic disease
- Pulmonary circulation
[edit] External links
- GPnotebook 53805116
- Dictionary at eMedicine pulmonary+trunk
- SUNY Labs 20:01-0106 - "Heart: The Pericardial sac and Great vessels"
- SUNY Labs 20:07-0105 - "Heart: Openings of Great Vessels into the Pericardial Sac"
- SUNY Figs 19:05-06 - "Mediastinal surface of the right lung."
- SUNY Figs 19:06-02 - "Mediastinal surface of the left lung."
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Blood | Heart → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → Heart → Pulmonary arteries → Lungs → Pulmonary veins → Heart |