Question

Trace a drop of blood traveling from the left pinky toe to the right eye.

Answer 1

Pathway of Blood Circulation

From the left pinky, the blood drains into the left digital veins from the superior surface and into the left plantar veins from the inferior surface, which flow into the feet and ankles,through the dorsal venous arch and the plantar venous arch. Then the blood drains into the anterior and posterior tibial veins. The anterior tibial vein combines with the posterior tibial vein and the fibular vein to form the left popliteal vein around the knee. As the popliteal vein passes behind the knee in the popliteal region, it becomes the left femoral vein and passes along the femur and becomes external iliac vein. The external and internal iliac veins combine near the inferior portion of the sacroiliac joint to form the common iliac vein. Common iliac veins fuse together at the level of L5 to form the inferior vena cava which will pass through the diaphragm and enter into the right atrium of the heart. Blood from right atrium drains into the right ventricle.

The right ventricle pumps oxygen-depleted blood to the right and left pulmonary arteries, which carry it to the right and left lungs for gas exchange. Oxygen-rich blood is transported back by the pulmonary veins to the left atrium. From left atrium, the blood enters into the left ventricle. The left ventricle pumps this blood into the aorta. The main regions of the aorta are the ascending aorta, arch of aorta and descending aorta (which is further divided into the thoracic and abdominal aorta). From the arch of aorta blood is supplied to neck and face through carotid artery which branches as internal carotid artery and external carotid artery. The first branch of the Internal carotid artery is the ophthalmic artery which supplies blood to the eyes. Right ophthalmic artery supplies blood to the right eye.

This is the pathway of a drop of blood from the left pinky toe to the right eye.