The Blood Supply to the Gut

Question 1

What are the three unpaired arteries that supply the GI system?

Answer 1

coeliac trunk, superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric arteries

Question 2

What are the three main branches of the coeliac trunk?

Answer 2

common hepatic artery (which branches into the hepatic artery proper and the gastroduodenal artery), left gastric artery and splenic artery

Question 3

Describe the branches of the superior mesenteric artery

Answer 3

ileocolic artery , right colic artery and middle colic artery

Question 4

What does the ileocolic branch of the SMA supply?

Answer 4

ileum part of colon

Question 5

What does the right colic branch of the SMA supply?

Answer 5

ascending part of colon

Question 6

What does the middle colic branch of the SMA supply?

Answer 6

transverse colon

Question 7

Where does the coeliac trunk begin?

Answer 7

T12

Question 8

Where does the superior mesenteric artery begin?

Answer 8

L1

Question 9

Where does the inferior mesenteric artery begin?

Answer 9

L3

Question 10

What are ‘vasa recta’?

Answer 10

smaller branches of arteries

Question 11

What does the inferior mesenteric artery mainly supply?

Answer 11

descending colon

Question 12

Describe the main branches of the inferior mesenteric artery

Answer 12

left colic artery, sigmoid artery, superior rectal artery and margin artery

Question 13

Describe the two main blood supplies to the liver

Answer 13

75% is hepatic portal vein and 25% is hepatic artery

Question 14

Which four veins meet to form the hepatic portal vein?

Answer 14

left gastric vein, splenic vein, inferior mesenteric vein and superior mesenteric vein

Question 15

Which nerve supplies the parasympathetic innervation to the foregut and midgut?

Answer 15

vagus nerve (X)

Question 16

Which nerve supplies the parasympathetic innervation to the hindgut?

Answer 16

sacral outflow between S2 and S4

Question 17

Which nerve supplies the sympathetic innervation to the foregut?

Answer 17

greater splanchnic nerve

Question 18

Which nerve supplies the sympathetic innervation to the midgut?

Answer 18

lesser and least splanchnic nerve

Question 19

Which nerve supplies the sympathetic innervation to the hindgut?

Answer 19

lumbar splanchnic nerve

Question 20

What is the marginal artery?

Answer 20

artery which links all of the different branches together in a highly anastamotic fashion

Question 21

What does the left colic branch of the IMA supply?

Answer 21

descending colon

Question 22

What does the sigmoid branch of the IMA supply?

Answer 22

sigmoid region of descending colon

Question 23

What does the superior rectal branch of the IMA supply?

Answer 23

top of the rectum