The ileocolic artery is the lowest branch arising from the concavity of the

superior mesenteric artery In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an artery which arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies blood to the intestine from the lower part of the ...

. It passes downward and to the right behind the

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of mesoth ...

toward the right

iliac fossa The iliac fossa is a large, smooth, concave surface on the internal surface of the Ilium (bone), ilium (part of the three fused bones making the hip bone). Structure The iliac fossa is bounded above by the iliac crest, and below by the Arcuate l ...

, where it divides into a superior and an inferior branch; the inferior gives rise to the appendicular artery and anastomoses with the end of the

, the superior with the

right colic artery The right colic artery is an artery of the abdomen, a branch of the superior mesenteric artery supplying the ascending colon. It divides into two terminal branches - an ascending branch and a descending branch - which form anastomoses with the ...

. It supplies the cecum, ileum, and appendix.

Branches

The inferior branch of the ileocolic runs toward the upper border of the ileocolic junction and supplies the following branches: * '' colic branch of ileocolic artery'', which passes upward on the

ascending colon ''Ascending'' is a science fiction novel by the Canadian writer James Alan Gardner, published in 2001 by HarperCollins Publishers under its various imprints.HarperCollins, Avon, HarperCollins Canada, SFBC/Avon; paperback edition 2001, Eos Books. ...

- from the posterior branch of the inferior branch of the ileocolic artery * ''ileocecal'' (some sources acknowledge this division while others do not) ** '' anterior cecal artery'' and ''

posterior cecal artery The posterior cecal artery (or posterior caecal artery) is a branch of the ileocolic artery The ileocolic artery is the lowest branch arising from the concavity of the superior mesenteric artery. It passes downward and to the right behind the per ...

'', which are distributed to the front and back of the

cecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix (anatomy), appendix, to which i ...

** '' ileal branch of ileocolic artery'', which runs upward and to the left on the lower part of the ileum and anastomoses with the termination of the superior mesenteric artery ** an appendicular artery

Additional images

File:Gray1043.png, Superior ileocecal fossa. File:Colonic_blood_supply.svg, Colonic blood supply

References

External links

* - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of Superior Mesenteric Artery" * * Arteries of the abdomen {{circulatory-stub