释义 |
portal vein noun Etymology: portal (II) : a large vein formed by fusion of other veins that terminates in a capillary network and delivers blood to some area other than the heart; specifically : a vein carrying blood from the digestive organs and spleen to the liver where the nutrients such blood carries are altered by liver cells before passing into the systemic circulation — called also hepatic portal vein; see renal portal vein |