Middle colic artery

Artery: Middle colic artery
The superior mesenteric artery and its branches. (Middle colic visible at center top.)
Colonic blood supply (Middle colic artery is #6)
Latin	arteria colica media
Gray's	subject #154 609
Supplies	transverse colon
Source	superior mesenteric artery
Vein	Middle colic vein
MeSH	a_61

The middle colic artery is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery that mostly supplies the transverse colon. It arises just below the pancreas, and, passing inferiorly and anteriorly between the layers of the transverse mesocolon, divides into two branches: right and left.

• The right branch anastomoses with the right colic artery
• The left branch anastomoses with the left colic artery, a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery.

The arches thus formed are placed about two fingers’ breadth from the transverse colon, to which they distribute branches.

See also

• marginal artery

External links

• SUNY Labs 39:03-0101 - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of Superior Mesenteric Artery"
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8579
• sup&infmesentericart at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.