Vein veins), not their oxygen content. In addition, deoxygenated blood that is carried from the tissues back to the heart for reoxygenation in the systemic circulation still carries some oxygen, though it is considerably less than that carried by the systemic arteries or pulmonary veins. Although most veins take blood back to the heart, there is an exception. Portal veins carry blood between capillary beds. For example, the hepatic portal vein takes blood from the capillary beds in the digestive tract and transports it to the capillary beds in the liver. The blood is then drained in the gastrointestinal tract and
Paraumbilical vein shunting blood to the superficial epigastric vein. The superficial epigastric vein drains to the femoral vein which ultimately drains into the inferior vena cava directly through the external iliac and common iliac vein, thereby bypassing the liver. Dilation of this particular portacaval anastomosis results in what is referred to as caput medusae. Paraumbilical vein In the course of the round ligament of liver, small veins (paraumbilical) are found which establish an anastomosis between the veins of the anterior abdominal wall and the hepatic portal, hypogastric, and iliac veins. The best marked of these small veins is one which commences at