Bronchial artery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Artery: Bronchial artery | |
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Bronchial artery labeled at center left. | |
Latin | aa. bronchiales |
Gray's | subject #153 |
In human anatomy, the bronchial arteries help supply the lungs with oxygenated blood. Although there is much variation, there are usually two bronchial arteries that run to the left lung, and one to the right lung.
Like the much larger pulmonary arteries, the bronchial arteries supply the lungs with blood. Unlike the pulmonary arteries, however, the bronchial arteries are part of systemic circulation, that is, they carry oxygenated blood pumped from the left ventricle of the heart.
The left bronchial arteries usually arise directly from the thoracic aorta. The single right bronchial artery usually arises from one of the following:
- 1) the thoracic aorta at a common trunk with the right 3rd posterior intercostal artery
- 2) the superior bronchial artery on the left side
The bronchial arteries supply blood to the bronchi and connective tissue of the lungs. They travel with and branch with the bronchi, ending about at the level of the repiratory bronchioles. They anastomose with the branches of the pulmonary arteries, and together, they supply the visceral pleura of the lung in the process.
Note that much of the blood supplied by the bronchial arteries is returned via the pulmonary veins rather than the bronchial veins.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- SUNY Figs 21:06-06 - "Branches of the ascending aorta, arch of the aorta, and the descending aorta."
- Bronchial arteries - anatquest.nlm.nih.gov.