Definition

Noun: - A major vein draining blood from the intestines: The mesenteric vein is a blood vessel that collects deoxygenated blood and nutrients from the small and large intestines. It is a tributary (a branch that flows into) of the portal vein, which carries this blood to the liver for processing.

Usage

• The term is used in anatomical, medical, and biological contexts to describe a specific part of the circulatory system related to the digestive organs.
• It is typically modified by "superior" or "inferior" to specify which section of the intestine it drains.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The surgeon carefully ligated the mesenteric vein to prevent hemorrhage during the bowel resection.
  • A clot in the mesenteric vein can cause a serious condition called mesenteric ischemia.

Advanced Usage

• "Superior mesenteric vein": The vein that drains blood from the small intestine, cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon.
  • The superior mesenteric vein joins with the splenic vein to form the portal vein.
• "Inferior mesenteric vein": The vein that drains blood from the descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum.
  • The inferior mesenteric vein typically empties into the splenic vein.

Variants and Related Words

• Portal vein (n): The larger vein into which the mesenteric veins drain, carrying blood to the liver.
• Mesentery (n): The fold of membrane that attaches the intestine to the abdominal wall and contains the mesenteric veins and arteries.
• Mesenteric artery (n): The artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the intestines, running alongside the mesenteric vein.

Synonyms

• Intestinal vein: A general term for veins draining the intestines, which includes the mesenteric veins.

Noun

1. a tributary of the portal vein passing from the intestine between the two layers of mesentery