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vena cava
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Illustration of a human heart in cross section, showing labeled chambers, valves, and major blood vessels including the aorta, pulmonary trunk, vena cavae, atria, and ventricles. Diagram of the human torso showing the venae cavae and their major tributary veins, with labeled pathways including the jugular, subclavian, renal, iliac, and femoral veins as part of the cardiovascular system.
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vena cava

anatomy
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Britannica Editors
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vena cava, in air-breathing vertebrates, including humans, either of two major trunks, the anterior and posterior venae cavae, that deliver oxygen-depleted blood to the right side of the heart. The anterior vena cava, also known as the precava, drains the head end of the body, while the posterior vena cava, or postcava, drains the tail, or rear, end. In humans these veins are respectively called the superior and inferior venae cavae. Whereas many mammals, including...

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