Identify the three liver blood-vessel routes
Distinguish hepatic artery, hepatic portal vein and hepatic-vein outflow.
Section B9.3 · Blood vessels
Cross-referenced to the 2028–2029 0653 section using original teaching from the related single-science courses. A 0653-specific objective-by-objective and Core/Supplement review is in progress. Written practice is self-checked and does not demonstrate supervised laboratory competence or award an official Cambridge grade.
Before you begin
- Recall arterial supply, absorption and venous return.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What organ does hepatic refer to?
What you will learn
- The liver has two major inflows
- Hepatic veins provide the outflow
The liver has two major inflows
Hepatic means related to the liver. The hepatic artery brings oxygenated blood from the systemic arterial supply. The hepatic portal vein brings blood from the digestive organs, including the intestine, to the liver before that blood returns to the heart. After absorption, this portal blood can carry absorbed nutrients for processing.
The portal route connects two capillary regions: the digestive-organ region and the liver. It is still a vein even though it enters another organ before reaching the heart. Defining a vein as “must connect directly to a heart chamber” would wrongly exclude this route.
Hepatic veins provide the outflow
Blood from the two inflows passes through the liver circulation and leaves in the hepatic veins towards the vena cava. In the original map, A supplies liver from arterial blood, B brings intestinal blood to liver, and C drains liver towards vena cava. Do not send the hepatic portal vein directly to the vena cava while bypassing liver.
Use endpoints and arrows to identify all three routes. Colours show a schematic distinction, not measured oxygen or nutrient concentrations. “Hepatic vein” and “hepatic portal vein” are not interchangeable: one is liver outflow, while the other is the digestive-organ inflow to liver. Do not confuse the bile duct with any of these blood vessels.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Which route is the hepatic portal vein?
Worked example
Name A systemic artery → liver, B intestine → liver and C liver → vena cava.
Show the worked solution
- A is hepatic artery and B is hepatic portal vein.
- C is hepatic-vein outflow.
Answer A hepatic artery; B hepatic portal vein; C hepatic veins.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Name the two major liver inflows in the map.
Give me a hint
Separate systemic arterial and digestive-organ routes.
Compare my reasoning
- A carries arterial blood to liver.
- B carries digestive-organ blood to liver.
A hepatic artery; B hepatic portal vein.
Look for these in your work
- Name both
- Keep their origins distinct
Name C and give its destination.
Give me a hint
It is the route leaving the liver.
Compare my reasoning
- Liver outflow travels through hepatic veins.
- Those drain towards the vena cava.
C hepatic veins; liver → vena cava.
Look for these in your work
- Name outflow
- State destination
An absorbed nutrient enters intestinal blood. Trace its portal route before heart return.
Give me a hint
Include the liver before the vena cava.
Compare my reasoning
- Intestinal blood travels through hepatic portal vein to liver.
- It leaves liver through hepatic veins and returns through vena cava.
Intestine → hepatic portal vein → liver → hepatic veins → vena cava → heart.
Look for these in your work
- Retain portal inflow
- Retain hepatic-vein outflow
Common mistakes
- Interchanging hepatic vein and hepatic portal vein.
- Calling the bile duct a blood vessel.
What can you explain now?
Which route is the hepatic portal vein?
Compare with the explanation
Digestive organs → liver
It is a portal inflow before systemic return.
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Make it stick
Draw two liver inflows and one outflow, then name every route.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.