516 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY. 



tines, lymphatic glands, and sympathetic plexus. Behind, 

 the aorta rests upon the lumbar vertebrae and interverte- 

 bral discs, the anterior common ligament of the spine, left 

 crus of the diaphragm, and left lumbar vein. At the right, 

 right crus of diaphragm, right splanchnic nerves, Spigelian 

 lobe of the liver, receptaculum chyli, vena cava inferior. At 

 the left, the left crus of the diaphragm, left splanchnic 

 nerves. 



The Branches. 



1 i ) The inferior phrenics. These arteries may arise sepa- 

 rately or by a common trunk from the front of the aorta im- 

 mediately after the aorta appears through the diaphragm, or 

 they may arise from the cceliac axis. They are the right and 

 left, and supply the right and left sides of the diaphragm. 

 The right also sends small branches to the liver and right 

 suprarenal body, the left to the oesophagus, spleen, and 

 left suprarenal gland. The right artery passes behind the 

 vena cava. 



(2) The Cceliac Axis, see page 509. 



(3) The right and left suprarenal. These are small 

 arteries that come off the side of the aorta and supply the 

 suprarenal bodies. Besides these, the suprarenal glands 

 receive blood from the inferior phrenics (superior suprarenal 

 blood supply), and from the renals (the inferior blood sup- 

 ply, the suprarenals themselves being the middle arteries). 



(4) The right and left first lumbar. See below. 



(5) Superior mesenteric. See page 51 1. 



(6) Right and left renal. Each renal artery arises from 

 the side of the aorta, on a level with the first lumbar verte- 

 bra, and passes outward to the kidney, breaking up into 

 several branches to enter at the hilum of the gland. The 

 artery is in front of the beginning of the ureter and behind 

 the renal vein. 



