The venae cavae (from the Latin for "hollow veins", singular "vena cava") are two large veins (venous trunks) that return deoxygenated blood from the body into the heart. In humans there are the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava, and both empty into the right atrium.[1] They are located slightly off-center, toward the right side of the body.
The inferior vena cava (or caudal vena cava in some animals) travels up alongside the abdominal aorta with blood from the lower part of the body. It is the largest vein in the human body.[2]
The superior vena cava (or cranial vena cava in animals) is above the heart, and forms from a convergence of the left and right brachiocephalic veins, which contain blood from the head and the arms.
Pronunciation
Origin: 1590–1600; New Latinvena cava (sg), venae cavae (pl), 'hollow vein/veins'. Although the classical Latin pronunciation of venae cavae would be approximately /ˈwɛnaɪˈkɑːwaɪ/, the standard pronunciation in American medical English is /ˈviːniːˈkeɪviː/,[3] and the standard British pronunciation is /ˈviːnəˈkeɪvə/.[4]
References
^vena cava. Dictionary.com. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
