Where is the carotid artery located? To study this issue, we turn to the consideration of the structure of such an organ as the heart. All arteries and veins come from him. What is the function of this body, how it looks in the photo - this will be discussed in this article.
Meet the heart
The heart is a fist-sized muscle located on the left side of the center of the chest. This wonderful organ works like a double pump. While the right side of the heart receives portions of blood with oxygen-type waste and removes them from the body (carbon dioxide), sends them to the lungs; the left side manages to get blood already saturated with oxygen from the lungs and it pumps it up to distribute and nourish the organs.
This complex organ is able to pump 5 liters of blood per minute to send portions of oxygen and nutrients necessary for the functioning of cells of different parts of the body through a very long circulatory system.
How is the carotid artery connected with this organ, where is it - we will talk about this in more detail.
Human circulatory system
Imagine that blood is like a train traveling long distances with an expansion of 5 liters of blood per minute. It travels through a person’s circulatory system or cardiovascular system, traveling through 100,000 km of blood vessels.
This impressive octagonal railway network consists of arterial, venous and capillary systems that will carry the blood stream to its destination: tissue cells of the organs of the human body, where it delivers oxygen and collects metabolic waste (carbon dioxide, carbon).
The trip through the cardiovascular system begins at a station called the sinus node, located in the upper part of the heart, where the heart rhythm is felt.
Sinus node
Considering the question of where the carotid artery is located, we continue to study the structure of the heart, which is directly related to the object of our study.
Regular electrical impulses emanate from their sinus node and stimulate the heart so that it can contract, providing the work of this muscular organ.
Thus, the four heart valves, which function as level crossings, have a very important function: they increase the barrier, allowing blood to move, and then they will be closed so that the blood does not flow in the opposite direction.
The guarantee of blood circulation in only one direction is:
- heart valves
- difference in pressure of arteries and valves of the vein system.
Two types of circulation
Where is the carotid artery in humans? It is directly related to the activity of the heart organ, like other arteries. Since the human body is too large, two routes are performed that act simultaneously, with constant blood flow in both. This is a unidirectional circular path divided by:
- Pulmonary circulation - the so-called small circulation is moved by the right ventricle, the pulmonary artery carries oxygen blood from the heart to the lungs. When we breathe, carbon dioxide separates from the blood when exhaling and raises oxygen when inhaled. The oxidized blood returns to the left atrium of the heart through the pulmonary vein. This route is shorter than the main and has a lower pressure.
- Systemic circulation - this pathway, known as primary circulation, transfers blood with portions of oxygen to all body tissues, returning to the heart, pumping up the left ventricle. Then blood with less oxygen and a large amount of carbon dioxide returns to the right atrium, and from there to the right ventricle.
Three way
A photo where the carotid artery is located will help determine the location of this part of the body. To distribute blood with oxygen and nutrients, the bloodstream or vascular system flows through three types of pathways:
- Arteries: The twenty major arteries transport oxygen-containing blood from the heart to body tissues. The walls of the arteries are covered with a wide layer of muscle fibers and elastic tissue (endothelium) to stretch and contract when the blood flows through them under pressure, like a high-speed train sent by heart contractions. Arteries tend to get inside small vessels (arterioles) and capillaries.
- Pulmonary artery: carries oxygen-free blood from the heart to the lungs.
- Common carotid artery: carries blood to the head and brain.
- Subclavian artery: supplies the arms and chest.
- Abdominal arteries: deliver blood from the heart to the stomach and legs.
- Solid artery: system of the pancreas, stomach and spleen.
- Superior mesenteric artery: carries blood to the intestines.
- Common iliac artery: provides blood to the pelvis and legs.
- Femoral artery: provides blood flow to the hips and knees.
- Anterior tibial artery: provides the inner surface of the leg and the entire leg.
- Renal artery: carries blood to the kidneys.
Veins
A fluid with oxygen-free blood and metabolic waste (carbon dioxide) collected in the tissues enters the veins that enter the body’s main blood vessels, such as the inferior vena cava and superior vena cava.
They flow to the right side of the heart. The veins have thin walls and valves that prevent blood from flowing out, as the blood moves at a slow speed, like a commuter train.
Aorta
The thickness of the aorta is about 2.5 cm. It leaves the upper left side of the heart and sinks into the lower abdomen, where it divides into two arteries that supply the legs. It has many possibilities for delivering blood to organs:
- carries oxygen blood from the upper body to the heart;
- takes blood from the lower body;
- brings blood from the lungs to the heart;
- provides the liver, kidneys, brain.
Having examined the significance of the three pathways of blood flow, we turn to the study of the question of where the carotid artery is. Next, its location will be indicated.
Instruction manual
The photo, where the carotid artery is located in humans, will help to understand the further instructions:
- With your index finger and thumb, feel the Adam's apple.
- There is a soft groove next to this area.
- It is here that the carotid artery is located.
As you can see, finding the carotid artery is not difficult. We also consider where the carotid axillary, femoral artery is located.
The axillary artery is allocated a place along the edge of the lateral rib and reaches the site where the pectoralis major muscle is located.
The femoral artery is located on the surface of the leg in the hip area, it can be determined by palpation of the inner side of the leg.
Problems in the vascular system
After examining the photo where the carotid artery is located on the neck and examining this question in detail, we will go on to study the problems that are characteristic of the vascular system.
One of the diseases that affect the arteries is arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis. This disorder occurs when arteries become thick and stiff. Blood clots - blood clots or embolism - block blood vessels and block the flow to the heart (heart attack) or brain (cerebrovascular paralysis).
To summarize
The circulatory system is formed by a complex network of vessels, which, thanks to the ongoing work of pumping out the heart, continuously carries blood throughout the body so that it can perform two main functions:
- Bring oxygen and essential nutrients to the tissue for proper functioning.
- Collect metabolic waste in order to take it to the organs responsible for their disposal.
In our body, there are two types of vessels with circulation, which develop additional functions:
- Arteries (red), tubes with an elastic wall that carry blood that pumps the heart to the whole body:
- Veins (blue), which are more extensible and are responsible for the return of blood to the heart.
There are many arteries and veins that cross the entire body, although only the main ones receive a certain name.
The circulatory system operates along two blood circuits:
- The human body is equipped with two circulating circuits that work in parallel. One of them is the main chain: oxygen-rich blood is transmitted by the heart to the aorta, distributed through the numerous arteries through all tissues, and then returned to the heart through the veins, transported by oxygen and charged with carbon dioxide.
- Another secondary scheme: venous blood moves by the heart to the pulmonary artery, oxidizes in the lungs and returns through the pulmonary veins to the heart, starting from the main circuit of the circulatory system.
To find the area on the body where the carotid artery is located on the neck, you need to slightly move your fingers away from the Adam's apple. So clearly felt a strong ripple.
The name "carotid" artery received because if you put pressure on this area, you can disable a person.