Cisterna chyli
Encyclopedia
The cisterna chyli is a dilated sac at the lower end of the thoracic duct
Thoracic duct
In human anatomy, the thoracic duct of the lymphatic system is the largest lymphatic vessel in the body. It is also known as the left lymphatic duct, alimentary duct, chyliferous duct, and Van Hoorne's canal....

 into which lymph from the intestinal trunk and two lumbar lymphatic trunks flow.

Flow of lymph

It forms the primary lymph vessel
Lymph vessel
In anatomy, lymph vessels are thin walled, valved structures that carry lymph. As part of the lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular system. Lymph vessels are lined by endothelial cells, and deep to that have a thin layer of smooth muscles, and adventitia that bind...

 transporting lymph
Lymph
Lymph is considered a part of the interstitial fluid, the fluid which lies in the interstices of all body tissues. Interstitial fluid becomes lymph when it enters a lymph capillary...

 and chyle
Chyle
Chyle is a milky bodily fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty acids . It is formed in the small intestine during digestion of fatty foods, and taken up by lymph vessels specifically known as lacteals...

 from the abdomen via the aortic opening to the junction of left subclavian vein
Subclavian vein
The subclavian veins are two large veins, one on either side of the body. Their diameter is approximately that of the smallest finger.-Path:Each subclavian vein is a continuation of the axillary vein and runs from the outer border of the first rib to the medial border of anterior scalene muscle...

 and internal jugular veins. It occurs inconsistently and when present is located posterior to the aorta
Aorta
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...

 on the anterior aspect of the bodies of the first and second lumbar vertebrae. The cisterna chyli receives fatty chyle from the intestines and thus acts as a conduit for the lipid products of digestion. It is the most common drainage trunk of most of the body's lymphatics.

External links

- "Posterior Abdominal Wall: The Cisterna Chyli"
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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