Pulmonary artery

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Pulmonary artery (pulmonary artery)
Course of the pulmonary arteries

The pulmonary artery (Latin for pulmonary artery , also shortened pulmonary artery ) is a large artery that transports the oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs. There are two pulmonary arteries (Arteriae pulmonales), a left one (Arteria pulmonalis sinistra) and a right one (Arteria pulmonalis dextra), which each represent branches of the pulmonary trunk emerging from the right ventricle . The point of division, known as the bifurcatio trunci pulmonalis , lies at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra and just below the aortic arch . The right and left pulmonary arteries go to the respective entry port of the lungs (lung hilus ). The pulmonary arteries are part of the pulmonary circulation (small circulation) and, together with their branches, belong to the pulmonary veins ( Venae pulmonales ) to the vasa publica of the lungs. The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen-poor blood, which is enriched with oxygen in the capillaries of the alveoli in the course of lung breathing .

Both pulmonary arteries branch within the lungs into an upper and a lower lobe artery, and the right one also into a middle lobe artery. These further divide into segmental branches which, together with the segmental bronchi , lead to the lung segments.

The pulmonary artery can be narrowed or incorrectly laid out in many congenital heart defects . This usually occurs in combination with other malformations of the heart and leads to complex clinical pictures.

literature

  • Anton Waldeyer : Human anatomy. Edited by Jochen Fanghänel , Franz Pera, Friedrich Anderhuber, Robert Nitsch. 17th, completely revised edition. de Gruyter, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-11-016561-9 , p. 831.
  • Hermann Voss , Robert Herrlinger : Taschenbuch der Anatomie. Volume 2: Histology 1. General anatomy of the intestines, digestive system, respiratory system, urogenital system and pelvic floor, thoracic, abdominal, pelvic and retrositus, circulatory system, defense system. With key to the item catalog. 17th, revised edition. Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-437-00502-2 , p. 339 ff.