Pulmonary circulation where carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is picked up during respiration. Arteries are further divided into very fine capillaries which are extremely thin-walled. The pulmonary vein returns oxygenated blood to the left atrium of the heart. The oxygenated blood then leaves the lungs through pulmonary veins, which return it to the left heart, completing the pulmonary cycle. This blood then enters the left atrium, which pumps it through the mitral valve into the left ventricle. From the left ventricle, the blood passes through the aortic valve to the aorta. The blood is then distributed to the body through the
Major aortopulmonary collateral artery with congenital heart diseases with decreased pulmonary blood flow like tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary atresia it may be seen sometimes in isolation i.e. not associated with any congenital heart disease in that case it is termed as isolated aortopulmonary collateral artery. In these cases it may be one of the cause of congestive cardiac failure in neonates. Pulmonary arteries come from the right side of the heart, and usually carry deoxygenated blood from the body. These collateral arteries carry blood which has already been oxygenated by the lungs, so are of little use in helping the body to get