Abdominal Blood Vessels Diagram – Aorta and Vena Cava

All 21 vessels on the diagram

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Arteries 14

Abdominal aorta The aorta below the diaphragm. It runs down to the left of the backbone and divides into the two common iliac arteries.
Inferior phrenic artery One on each side. It supplies the underside of the diaphragm.
Celiac trunk It divides into the left gastric, splenic and common hepatic arteries.
Common hepatic artery A branch of the celiac trunk. It leads to the artery that supplies the liver.
Left gastric artery A branch of the celiac trunk. It supplies the stomach and the esophagus.
Splenic artery A branch of the celiac trunk. It supplies the spleen.
Superior mesenteric artery Supplies the small intestine, the pancreas and most of the large intestine.
Adrenal artery One on each side. It supplies an adrenal gland and is also called the middle suprarenal artery.
Renal artery One on each side. The right one is longer, because the aorta lies to the left of the backbone.
Gonadal artery One on each side. It supplies an ovary or a testis, so it is also called the ovarian or testicular artery.
Inferior mesenteric artery It supplies the last part of the large intestine, including the rectum.
Lumbar arteries Four on each side. They supply the lower back, the abdominal wall and the spinal cord.
Median sacral artery A small single artery that continues in the midline towards the sacrum.
Common iliac artery One on each side. It carries blood to the pelvis and the lower limb.

Veins 7

Inferior vena cava Carries blood from below the diaphragm up to the right atrium. It lies to the right of the aorta.
Hepatic veins They drain the liver straight into the inferior vena cava.
Adrenal vein The right one enters the inferior vena cava. The left one enters the left renal vein. It is also called the suprarenal vein.
Renal vein One on each side. The left one is longer, because the inferior vena cava lies to the right.
Gonadal vein The right one enters the inferior vena cava. The left one enters the left renal vein. It is also called the ovarian or testicular vein.
Lumbar veins They drain the lower back and the abdominal wall.
Common iliac vein One on each side. The two join to form the inferior vena cava.

How this list was compiled: Every name and detail checked on 2026-09-30 against OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 20.5 Circulatory Pathways (Abdominal Aorta and Major Branches; The Inferior Vena Cava with table 20.15), https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/20-5-circulatory-pathways, and against Wikipedia, text only: Abdominal aorta, Celiac artery, Inferior vena cava and Renal vein. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

Two front views of the back wall of the abdomen with the gut removed. To label the vessels of the abdomen, start with the arteries of the aorta, then the veins of the inferior vena cava.

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Down the aorta, then up the vena cava

Numbers 1 to 14 are the arteries, from the diaphragm down: the inferior phrenic arteries, the celiac trunk and its three branches, the superior mesenteric artery, the adrenal, renal and gonadal arteries in pairs, the lumbar arteries, the inferior mesenteric artery, and the split into the two common iliac arteries. Numbers 15 to 21 are the veins. The faint dashed vessel in each drawing is the other great vessel, to show where it lies.

Three single arteries leave the front of the aorta: the celiac trunk, the superior mesenteric artery and the inferior mesenteric artery.
On the left, the adrenal and gonadal veins join the renal vein. On the right, they join the inferior vena cava itself.

Questions and answers

What are the branches of the abdominal aorta?

From top to bottom: the inferior phrenic arteries, the celiac trunk, the superior mesenteric artery, the adrenal, renal and gonadal arteries, four pairs of lumbar arteries, the inferior mesenteric artery, the median sacral artery and the two common iliac arteries.

What are the three branches of the celiac trunk?

The left gastric artery, to the stomach and esophagus; the splenic artery, to the spleen; and the common hepatic artery, which leads to the artery that supplies the liver.

Which veins drain into the inferior vena cava?

The two common iliac veins form it. On the way up it takes in the lumbar veins, the right gonadal vein, the renal veins, the right adrenal vein and the hepatic veins. The left gonadal and adrenal veins reach it through the left renal vein.

Why is the left renal vein longer than the right?

The inferior vena cava lies to the right of the backbone and the aorta, so the left renal vein has further to go. The right renal artery is the longer artery, because the aorta lies to the left.