Superior Mesenteric Vein

Having left the small intestines, you are now in the superior mesenteric artery's companion vessel -- the superior mesenteric vein. This vein does not lead directly to the heart, but instead combines with the splenic and inferior mesenteric veins to form the portal vein, which leads into the liver. Inside the liver, many important metabolic processes occur. The portal vein forms many intricate branches within the liver, where the blood from the portal vein is then processed before leaving the liver out the inferior vena cava via the hepatic veins.

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