AAMC FL Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Study for the AAMC FL Exam. Prepare with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each equipped with hints and explanations. Gear up for your medical school entrance exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What occurs when blood leaves the liver?

It is carried by the hepatic portal vein to the intestines
It enters the inferior vena cava as deoxygenated blood
It is mixed with oxygenated blood in the aorta
It circulates back to the heart through the pulmonary vein

The correct answer is: It enters the inferior vena cava as deoxygenated blood

Blood that leaves the liver does so primarily through the hepatic veins, which drain the liver's blood supply into the inferior vena cava. This is critical for transporting deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The liver receives a dual blood supply, receiving oxygenated blood from the hepatic artery and nutrient-rich but deoxygenated blood from the hepatic portal vein coming from the intestines. Once processed, the blood enters the hepatic veins, which then empty into the inferior vena cava, allowing it to return to the right atrium of the heart. Understanding the flow of blood post-liver is essential in contexts such as nutrient absorption and waste processing, making it clear why the movement of blood to the inferior vena cava is a key aspect of circulatory physiology.