The lung arteries
Pulmonary trunk and arteries · truncus pulmonalis
The vessels that carry oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs.
What it does
The pulmonary trunk leaves the right ventricle and splits into left and right pulmonary arteries, which branch alongside the airways into the lungs. They carry blood that has returned from the body, low in oxygen, to be refreshed.
Surprising fact
These are the only arteries in an adult that carry oxygen-poor blood, which is why atlases colour them blue like veins.
Why it matters
A blood clot that travels from the legs can lodge in these arteries, a pulmonary embolism. Sudden breathlessness and chest pain after a long flight or surgery need urgent care.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.