Bio 151 – Laboratory Manual Human Anatomy & Physiology II DCCC Cardiovascular II – Vessels
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#5 Cardiovascular II – Blood Vessels
Objectives:
Observe slide of artery and vein cross-section
Identify a list of human arteries and veins using a virtual human dissection
Dissect and identify a list of arteries and veins in the cat
Equipment: Remember to bring gloves, goggles, dissecting kit, appropriate shoes, and
photographic atlas.
I. Introduction
Blood vessels
Blood vessels are the functional
units of the cardiovascular system.
Every cell in the body depends on a
close association with the vascular
system to sustain homeostasis. In
general, systemic arteries deliver
blood, rich with oxygen and
nutrients, to capillary networks
interspersed within the organs and
tissues. The systemic veins drain
the capillary networks and return
the blood, high in carbon dioxide
and wastes, to the right side of the
heart. The pulmonary arteries
deliver deoxygenated blood to the
lungs. After carbon dioxide is
exchanged for oxygen, the
pulmonary veins return oxygenated
blood to the left side of the heart.
Figure 1a. Human systemic
arterial circulation (Saladin).
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II. Observation of Artery and Vein Slide
Obtain the artery and vein cross-section slide (HA 21). Locate the artery (thick-walled, more
obvious vessel) and the vein (thin-walled, collapsed). Identify the following structures:
Artery:
tunica interna
endothelium
tunica media
smooth muscle
tunica externa
connective tissue
Vein:
tunica interna
endothelium
tunica media
smooth muscle
tunica externa
connective tissue
Figure 1b. Human venous
circulation (Saladin).
Figure 2. Artery and vein (from
AP Revealed).
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III. Virtual Human Blood Vessel Examination
Preparation
1. Start the Anatomy & Physiology
Revealed® software by double clicking its icon.
2. On the home screen select Cardiovascular from
the Module (top center) drop down menu.
3. Click the dissection icon (next to Module).
4. In the Structure List column (top left) choose
thorax from the Topic drop down menu.
5. Choose Arteries-anterior from the View drop
down menu.
6. Use the layer tools and the instructions below to navigate between layers. Locate the various
structures by activating the labeling pins when appropriate.
B. Virtual Artery Examination:
Cardiovascular system, thorax, arteries-anterior, dissection layer 4
Arteries APRevealed®
1. aorta
1a. aortic arch
1b. thoracic aorta
2. brachiocephalic
artery
3a. right common
carotid artery
3b. left common
carotid artery
4a. right subclavian
artery
4b. left subclavian
artery
1. Move to Layer 4 (APR Fig. 1)
and locate the structures on the
left.
2. Move to Layer 6 to locate the
right common carotid a. (3a)
and the thoracic aorta (1b).
3. The brachiocephalic a. (2)
divides into the right common
carotid a. (not shown here)
which supplies the head and the
right subclavian a. (4a) which
supplies the arm.
4. Another useful AP Revealed
resource is the computed
tomography angiography (CTA)
bank of images. While
Cardiovascular is still selected
in the Module box, click on the
imaging icon . From the
Topic drop down menu choose
Aortic arch-CTA-oblique view (APR Fig. 2). Trace the path of
the aorta as it descends posterior
to the heart.
APR Fig. 1
APR Fig. 2
4a
1
4b 2 1a
3b
1b
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Cardiovascular system, shoulder and arm, vasculature-anterior dissection layer 8
Arteries AP Revealed®
4b. left subclavian
artery
5. axillary artery (left
and right) left shown in
these views
6. brachial artery (left
and right) left shown in
these views
1. Click on the dissection icon
and choose Shoulder and arm
from the Topic drop down
menu. Choose Vasculature-
anterior from the View menu.
Move to Layer 8 (APR Fig. 3).
2. Although the left subclavian
a. (APR Fig. 1) branches directly
from the aorta and the right
subclavian a. does not, both
arteries become the axillary a.
(5) at the level of the first rib, as
the artery enters the upper arm.
At the point where the deltoid
and biceps meet, the axillary a.
becomes the brachial a. (6).
3. Go to Topic: Shoulder, View:
Vascular arteries, Layer 5 to
see the exact boundaries of each
artery (APR Fig. 4).
APR Fig. 3
APR Fig. 4
Cardiovascular system, shoulder and arm, arteries-anterior, layer 2
Arteries AP Revealed®
4b. left subclavian
artery
5. left axillary artery
6. left brachial artery
1. For some views, there are
orientation diagrams available.
To see the diagram for the
arteries that supply the upper
limbs, go to Topic: Shoulder
and arm, View: Arteries-
anterior, Layer 2 (APR Fig. 5).
2. Click on each vessel in the list
on the left to see the boundaries.
APR Fig. 5
4b
5
6
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Cardiovascular system, head and neck, vasculature-lateral dissection layer 4
Arteries AP Revealed®
3a. right common
carotid artery
7. internal carotid
arteries (right and left)
8. external carotid
arteries (right and left)
1. Go to Topic: Head and neck,
View: Vasculature-lateral,
Layer 4 (APR Fig. 6).
2. The internal carotid a. (7) has
a slightly larger diameter than
the external carotid a. (8). The
internal carotid a. is posterior to
the external carotid a.
APR Fig. 6
Cardiovascular system, abdomen, celiac trunk-anterior, dissection layer 6
Arteries AP Revealed®
1b. abdominal aorta
9. celiac trunk
10. superior mesenteric
artery
11. renal arteries (right
and left)
12. common iliac
arteries (right and left)
13. external iliac
arteries (right and left)
14. internal iliac
arteries (right and left)
1. Go to Topic: Abdomen,
View: Celiac trunk-anterior,
Layer 6 (APR Fig. 7).
2. The aorta descends from the
thorax to the abdomen through
the diaphragm (D). The first
artery that branches from the
abdominal aorta is the celiac
trunk (9).
3. Just inferior to the celiac trunk
is the superior mesenteric a.
(10) which supplies blood to
many of the GI organs.
4. The renal arteries (11) supply
the kidneys.
5. The aorta branches into the
right and left common iliac a.
(12) in the pelvic region.
6. Use CTA to visualize the
point at which the common iliac
a.(12) split into the external(13)
and internal (14) iliac a. Click
on the imaging icon and choose
Abdominal aorta and iliac
arteries. The correct image will
appear (APR Fig. 8).
APR Fig. 7
APR Fig. 8
3a
7
8
9 10
1b
D
11 11
12
12
13 13
14
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Cardiovascular system, hip and thigh, vasculature-anterior, dissection layer 4
Arteries AP Revealed®
15. femoral arteries
(right and left)
1. Click on the dissection icon
and go to Topic: Hip and thigh,
View: Vasculature-anterior,
Layer 4 (APR Fig. 9).
2. As the external iliac a. enters
the thigh, it becomes the femoral
a. (15).
3. To bring up an orientation
diagram of the veins that drain
the lower limbs, click on the pin
marking the femoral a.
APR Fig. 9
Cardiovascular system, thorax, veins-anterior, dissection layer 4
Veins AP Revealed®
16. vena cava
a. superior
b. inferior (not
visible in this view)
17. brachiocephalic
veins (right and left)
18. subclavian veins
(right and left)
19. internal jugular
veins (right and left)
20. external jugular
veins (right and left)
1. Go to Topic: Thorax, View:
Veins-anterior, Layer 4 (APR
Fig. 10).
2. The superior vena (16a)
empties into the right atrium.
The right and left
brachiocephalic v. (17) empty
into the superior vena cava.
They are formed from the union
of the subclavian v. (18), which
drain the upper limbs, and the
internal jugular v. (19), which
drain the head along with the
external jugular v. (APR Fig.
10).
3. For a lateral view of the right
internal and external jugular v.,
go to Topic: Head and neck,
View: Vasculature-lateral (APR
Fig. 10). The external jugular v.
can be seen in Layer 2 (APR
Fig. 11) and the internal jugular
v. can be seen in Layer 3.
APR Fig. 10
APR Fig. 11
17
16a
18 19
15
17
19 18
20
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Cardiovascular system, shoulder and arm, vasculature-anterior dissection layer 6
Veins AP Revealed®
18. subclavian veins
(right and left)
21. axillary veins
(right and left)
22. brachial veins
(right and left)
APR Fig. 12 shows the
left side
1. Go to Topic: Shoulder and
arm, View: Vasculature-
anterior, Layer 6 (APR Fig. 12).
2. The axillary v. (21) drain the
upper limbs and become the
subclavian v. as the vessel enters
the thoracic cavity.
3. The brachial v. (22) drain the
antebrachia and empty directly
into the axillary v.
4. For a diagram of this region,
go to Topic: Shoulder and arm,
View: Veins-anterior, Layer 4.
APR Fig. 12
Cardiovascular system, abdomen, Veins-anterior, dissection layer 6
Veins AP Revealed®
16b. inferior vena cava
23. renal veins
(right and left)
24. common iliac veins
(right and left)
1. Go to Topic: Abdomen,
View: Veins-anterior, Layer 6
(APR Fig. 13).
2. The renal v. (23) drain the
kidneys (K) and empty directly
into the inferior vena cava (16b)
which carries blood from the
lower body into the right atrium.
In the pelvic region the right and
left common iliac v. (24) join to
form the inferior vena cava.
APR Fig. 13
21
22
18
22
K
16b
24
23
K
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Cardiovascular system, abdomen, Veins-anterior, dissection layer 6
Veins AP Revealed®
24. common iliac veins
(right and left)
25. internal iliac veins
(right and left)
26. external iliac veins
(right and left)
27. femoral veins (right
and left)
1. Go to Topic: Pelvis-male:
Vasculature-anterior, Layer 5
(APR Fig. 14).
2. The internal (25) and external
(26) iliac v. join to form the
common (24) iliac v. The
internal iliac v. drain blood from
the pelvic region and the
external iliac v. drain blood
from the femoral v. (27, APR
Fig. 14).
3. Also shown in APR Fig. 13
are the common (12), internal
(13), and external (14) iliac a.
4. Go to Topic: Hip and leg,
View: Veins-anterior, Layer 4 for an orientation diagram of the
veins that drain the lower body
(APR Fig. 15).
APR Fig. 14
APR Fig. 15
26 12
13
16b
25
14
24
24 26
25
27
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IV. Cat Vessel Dissection 1. Wear goggles, gloves, and an apron for the entire time that you are working with
preserved specimens.
2. Use scissors to cut open the bag and remove the cat, but do not let the preservative
spill out of the bag.
3. Carefully dump the preservative into a special bin provided at certain lab sinks.
DO NOT DUMP THE PRESERVATIVE DOWN THE SINK.
4. The plastic bag should then be thrown away in the regular trash containers.
5. Do not use a scalpel for dissecting out the vessels.
6. For most of your work, use only your blunt probe. It is the safest and most efficient
dissecting tool for vessel identification.
7. Use your scissors to open the thoracic and abdominal cavities.
The arteries of the cat have been injected with red latex but they appear pink due to the thick
arterial walls. The veins have been injected with blue latex and are typically more prominent
than the accompanying arteries. The thoracic veins are anterior to the arteries. Take care not to
destroy the veins when following the arteries through the tissues. Use Figure 3 to help you locate
structures as you perform the dissection.
Instructions to remove the cat chest wall:
1. Carefully use scissors to cut through the abdominal wall near the genital opening. It is very
thin so take care not to cut into the abdominal viscera. Cut towards the head in a curve up each
side until you reach the diaphragm and the rib cage.
2. Cut the diaphragm horizontally so that it separates from the chest wall.
3. Cut through the ribs one at a time using the bone cutters, if necessary, from the diaphragm
towards the head, one side at a time.
4. Be careful not to damage the axillary vein and artery as you cut the muscle in the axilla.
5. You may cut the superficial vessels going to/from the anterior part of the chest wall.
6. Carefully remove the chest wall after making sure the tissue near the head/neck is separated.
A. Structures and Arteries of the Upper Body
─ Pericardium
─ Heart
1. Aorta
1a. Aortic arch
2. Brachiocephalic artery
3a. Right common carotid artery
3b. Left common carotid artery
4a. Right subclavian artery
4b. Left subclavian artery
5. Axillary arteries (right & left)
6. Brachial arteries (right & left)
7. Internal carotid arteries (right & left)
8. External carotid arteries (right & left)
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Figure 3. Diagram of Cat vessels.
right subclavian
external jugular
internal jugular
brachiocephalic
internal iliac external iliac
common iliac
renal
internal iliac
femoral
renal
superior
mesenteric
celiac trunk
abdominal aorta
brachiocephalic
right subclavian
right common carotid
DIAPHRAGM
TRACHEA
HEART HEART
KIDNEY
KIDNEY
ARTERIES VEINS
TRACHEA
DIAPHRAGM
left common carotid
left subclavian
thoracic aorta
external iliac
caudal
femoral
inferior vena cava
superior vena cava
left subclavian
VESSELS OF THE CAT
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Heart – The heart is in the center of the thoracic cavity, between the two lungs.
Pericardium – This thin sac encloses the heart. Snip the pericardium with scissors and peel it
back to reveal the surface of the heart.
Aorta – On the superior aspect, at about the midline, the aorta emerges from the left ventricle, then
curves sharply inferior becoming the aortic arch. The superior vena cava might be partially
obscuring the aorta.
Brachiocephalic artery – In the cat, there are only two major branches from the aortic arch; the
brachiocephalic artery arises first. This artery moves vertically toward the neck.
Right and left common carotid arteries – The common carotid arteries branch from the
brachiocephalic artery at the same point and then travel vertically on either side of the trachea.
Right subclavian artery – The right subclavian artery branches from the brachiocephalic and
moves toward the right shoulder.
Left subclavian artery – The second artery to branch from the aortic arch in cats is the left
subclavian artery. Insert your blunt probe between the superior vena cava and the
brachiocephalic artery. Gently lift the arteries to view the left subclavian artery. With the blunt
probe and tweezers, clear away the tissue covering both arteries as they move toward the neck.
The left subclavian artery will extend vertically and then move toward the left shoulder.
Right and left axillary arteries – The subclavian arteries become the axillary arteries as they
move out of the thoracic cavity into the armpit area (axilla).
Right and left brachial arteries – The axillary arteries become the brachial arteries as they
enter the upper limb.
Internal and external carotid arteries – At the top of the trachea, each common carotid artery
splits into the external and internal carotid arteries.
B. Arteries of the Lower Body
1b. Descending aorta
10. External iliac arteries (right and left)
11. Internal iliac arteries (right and left)
12. Femoral arteries (right and left)
13. Celiac artery
14. Superior mesenteric artery
15. Renal arteries (right and left)
Descending aorta – The aortic arch curves inferiorly as it passes behind the heart. Roll the left
lung aside and lift the heart to follow the descending aorta (thoracic aorta) as it passes through
the diaphragm along with the esophagus and the inferior vena cava. Once past the diaphragm, the
aorta is referred to as the abdominal aorta.
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Right and left external iliac arteries – In the pelvic region, the aorta splits into the right and
left external arteries. There are no common iliac arteries in cats. The large external iliac arteries
continue into the lower limb.
Right and left internal iliac arteries – The abdominal aorta continues for a short way past the
external iliac arteries and then it divides into the right and left internal iliac arteries and the
caudal artery.
Right and left femoral arteries – The external iliac arteries become the femoral arteries as they
enter the lower limb.
Celiac artery – In order to view the abdominal arteries, the abdominal organs must be moved
gently to one side. Take care not to damage the organs. The aorta and the inferior vena cava are
on the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity. The first artery to branch from the aorta within the
abdomen is the celiac artery (trunk). This very short vessel branches anteriorly and immediately
divides into three branches.
Superior mesenteric artery – The second branch of the abdominal aorta is the superior
mesenteric artery. It is also anterior and just inferior to the celiac trunk. It branches extensively to
supply the intestinal mesentery.
Right and left renal arteries – Deeper into the abdomen, the renal arteries branch laterally from
the aorta and supply the kidneys.
C. Veins of the Upper Body
16a. Superior vena cava
16b. Inferior vena cava
17. Brachiocephalic veins (right and left)
18. Subclavian veins (right and left)
19. Internal jugular veins (right and left)
20. External jugular veins (right and left)
21. Axillary veins (right and left)
22. Brachial veins (right and left)
Superior vena cava – This large vessel enters the right atrium on the superior aspect of the
heart.
Right and left brachiocephalic veins – These two prominent vessels join to form the superior
vena cava.
Right and left subclavian veins – The subclavian veins drain blood from the upper limb and
shoulder. They join the external jugular vein to form the right and left brachiocephalic veins.
Right and left external jugular veins – These large veins travel down the lateral aspect of the
neck until they join the subclavian veins to form the brachiocephalic veins. The external jugular
veins are larger than the internal jugular in cats. The opposite is true in humans.
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Right and left internal jugular veins – The internal jugular veins drain the brain and empty into
the external jugular veins at the junction with the brachiocephalic veins.
Right and left axillary veins – These vessels drain blood from the upper limb. They become the
subclavian veins as the vessels enter the thoracic cavity.
Right and left brachial veins – The brachial veins drain the antebrachial regions and empty into
the axillary veins.
D. Veins of the Lower Body
16b. Inferior vena cava
23. Renal veins (right and left)
24. Common iliac veins (right and left)
25. Internal iliac veins (right and left)
26. External iliac veins (right and left)
27. Femoral veins (right and left)
Inferior vena cava – The inferior vena cava drains blood from the lower body to the right
atrium. The vena cava accompanies the descending aorta through the thoracic cavity into the
abdomen.
Renal veins – The large renal veins return blood from the kidneys to the inferior vena cava.
Right and left common iliac veins – The inferior vena cava is formed from the union of the
right and left common iliac veins within the pelvic region.
Right and left internal iliac veins – The common iliac veins are formed by the union of the
internal and external iliac veins.
Right and left external iliac veins – These vessels drain the femoral veins of the lower limbs.
Right and left femoral veins – The femoral veins become the external iliac veins as the vessels
enter the body from the lower limbs.
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E. Directions for Putting Your Cat Away and Cleaning Up
1. All cat parts (fur, fat, connective tissue) should be thrown away in the red biohazard
containers. Please do NOT allow cat parts to end up in the sink. They will clog the
drain and cause extra work for lab assistants.
2. Spray the entire cat with Preserved Specimen Conditioning Spray. Be careful not to
spray yourself, or anyone else, in the face with the spray.
3. Obtain two of the special anti-microbial paper towels. Put on the preservative so that
the towels are wet but NOT dripping. Wrap these paper towels tightly around your cat,
covering as much of the cat’s body as possible.
4. Obtain a NEW plastic bag and place your cat (wrapped in the towels) inside the bag. Pat
down the bag to get as much air out of the bag as possible, and then use a large rubber
band to seal the bag tightly so that no fluid will leak out.
5. Place the cat into the bins provided as directed by your instructor.
6. Thoroughly wash your dissecting tray with soap and water, dry, and return it to the lab
bench where you found it.
7. Use the spray disinfectant cleaner provided to thoroughly wipe down your lab bench
area so that it will be ready for the next group of students.
8. Dispose of your gloves, paper towels and old plastic bags in the regular
trash containers, NOT the red biohazard containers.
9. Make sure that you take your dissecting kit and goggles with you when you leave the lab.
References:
Kenneth Saladin, Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, 6th
Edition,
McGraw-Hill Publishers, 2011.
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Laboratory Report Name:________________________
For each label on the diagrams below, give the name of the arteries or the vein on the correct line
to the right.
A. _____________________________
B. _____________________________
C. _____________________________
D. _____________________________
E. _____________________________
F. _____________________________
G. _____________________________
H. _____________________________
I. _____________________________
J. _____________________________
K. _____________________________
D H
A
I
C
E
F G
B
J
K
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L. _____________________________
M. _____________________________
N. _____________________________
O. _____________________________
P. _____________________________
Q. _____________________________
R. _____________________________
S. _____________________________
T. _____________________________
L M
N
O
P
T
S
Q
R