Celiac artery

Celiac artery
The celiac artery and its branches. (Celiac artery visible at center.)
Surface projections of the major organs of the trunk, showing celiac artery in middle
Details
Precursor	vitelline arteries
Source	abdominal aorta
Branches	left gastric artery common hepatic artery splenic artery
Identifiers
Latin	Truncus coeliacus, arteria coeliaca
MeSH	A07.231.114.207
Dorlands /Elsevier	t_20/12825991
TA	A12.2.12.012
FMA	14812
Anatomical terminology []

The celiac (or coeliac; /ˈsiːli.æk/) artery, also known as the celiac trunk, or truncus coeliacus, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta. It is 1.25 cm in length. Branching from the aorta at thoracic vertebra 12 (T12) in humans, it is one of three anterior/ midline branches of the abdominal aorta (the others are the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries).

There are three main divisions of the celiac artery, and each in turn has its own named branches.

The celiac artery may also give rise to the inferior phrenic arteries.

The celiac artery supplies oxygenated blood to the liver, stomach, abdominal esophagus, spleen and the superior half of both the duodenum and the pancreas. These structures correspond to the embryonic foregut. (Similarly, the superior mesenteric artery and inferior mesenteric artery feed structures arising from the embryonic midgut and hindgut respectively. Note that these three anterior branches of the abdominal aorta are distinct and cannot substitute for one another, although there are limited connections between their terminal branches.)