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AAAC18 21/5/05 10:40 AM Page 44
18 The liver, gall-bladder and biliary tree

Opening in central tendon
of diaphragm

Hepatic vein Liver
Spleen

Portal vein

Splenic vein
Inferior mesenteric vein

Superior mesenteric vein

Fig.18.1
The venous circulation through the liver.
The transmission of blood from the portal system to the inferior vena cava
is via the liver lobules (fig. 18.2)

Bile duct
Central vein
Periportal
connective Bile duct
tissue Branch of hepatic artery Bile canaliculi
Vein
Branch of portal vein Artery
Direction of Direction of blood flow
bile flow
Sinusoids

Central vein
(a) (b)

Fig.18.2
(a) A liver lobule to show the direction of blood flow from the portal system to the centrilobular veins
and thence to the inferior vena cava
(b) The blood flow through the sinusoids of the liver lobule and the passage of bile from the bile
canaliculi to the bile ducts

44 Abdomen and pelvis