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HUMAN ANATOMY. 



(a) The Gastric Artery. — The gastric artery (a gastrica sinistra) (Fig. 720) is 

 the smallest of the three branches given off from the cceliac a.xis. In the first portion 

 of its course it passes to the left and slightly upward, across the left crus of the 

 diaphragm, Iving behind the posterior layer of the lesser sac of peritoneum. It reaches 

 the lesser curvature of the stomach near the opening of the oesophagus into that 

 viscus, where the upper part of the posterior wall of the lesser sac of peritoneum passes 

 over upon the stomach to become continuous with the posterior layer of the lesser 



Fig 720, 



Kight lobe of liver 



Renal vein 



Gall bladder 



Common t'ile duct 



Inferior vena cava 



Gastro-duodenal artery 



Right kidney 

 Pyloric branch 

 of hepatic artery 



Duodenum 



Pancreas 

 9 Ascending colon 



Crest of ilium 



Right gastro-epiploic 

 artery 



Abdominal aorta 



Spleen 



Cceliac axis 

 Gastric artery 



I ~7 Cut edge of diaphragm 



branches 

 splenic artery 



Splenic artery 



_ Superior mesenteric 

 artery 



Left gastro- 

 epiploic artery 



Stomach 

 Transverse colon 



Branches of 

 middle colic 

 artery 



Omentum 



Cceliac axis and its branches. 



' (gastro-hepatic) omentum. It then curves forward, downward, and to the right 

 along the lesser curvature of the stomach, lying between tlie two layers of the lesser 

 omentum, frequently dividing into two parallel stems in this portion of its course, 

 and terminates near the pyloric end of the stomach by anastomosing with the pyloric 

 branch of the hepatic artery. 



Branches. — Just at the point where the gastric artery reaches the stomach it gives off — 

 {aa) CEsophageal branches (rami oesophagei) which pass upward to supply the lower 

 portion of the oesophagus, anastomosing with the cesophageal branches of the thoracic aorta 

 and with branches of the inferior phrenic arteries. Throughout the entire length of its course 

 along the lesser curvature of the stomach the gastric artery gives rise to — 



