portal vein
1
4.3
- noun
- /ˈpɔrtəl veɪn/
- Specialized
:
vena porta
- At the end of the anhepatic phase, concentrations of cyclosporin metabolites were higher in portal vein samples than in blood from the femoral artery.
- portal vein of the patient
Examples
-
Doctors insert a solution into the portal vein of the liver to provide new islet cells.
-
5 ml blood samples were obtained simultaneously from the portal vein cannula and from an indwelling catheter in the femoral artery immediately before cyclosporin administration.
Academic text (1991) -
The iron-rich blood of the GI tract passes into the liver via the portal vein.
Academic text (2007) -
The iron-rich blood of the GI tract passes into the liver via the portal vein.
-
In the procedure, insulin-producing cells from the donor pancreas are injected into the portal vein of the patient's liver.
Synonyms
6
8.1
A short vein that carries blood from the intestines to the liver
A short vein that carries blood from the stomach and intestines to the liver
A short vein that carries blood from the stomach and intestines to the liver
Antonyms
- Specialized
195
2.7
A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to other parts of the body
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward modifier + noun technical term: 'portal' (here referring to the portal/hepatic system) specifies the type of 'vein' (a blood vessel), so the phrase denotes the vein of the portal system that carries blood to the liver. For a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings (including the specialist sense of 'portal'), the overall meaning is directly derivable and therefore transparent.
Etymology
Portal vein comes from the word portal meaning 'gate' and vein meaning a tube that carries blood. It is called this because it brings blood from the stomach and intestines into the liver, like a 'gateway' that delivers food-rich blood for the liver to process.