A patient with cirrhosis is admitted; which vessel delivers blood high in nutrients to the liver?

• A. Hepatic artery
• B. Hepatic portal vein
• C. Hepatic vein
• D. Inferior vena cava

Answer: (B)

Nutrient-rich blood reaches the liver through the hepatic portal vein, which is part of the portal venous system that collects blood from the gastrointestinal tract, spleen, and pancreas. After nutrients are absorbed in the gut, they enter this portal circulation and are delivered to the liver for metabolism, storage, and detoxification before joining the systemic circulation. The hepatic artery, by contrast, supplies oxygen-rich blood to nourish liver tissue but doesn’t deliver nutrients from digestion. The hepatic vein and the inferior vena cava carry processed blood away from the liver rather than into it. In cirrhosis, flow through this portal system can be impeded, leading to portal hypertension, but the vessel that brings nutrient-rich blood to the liver remains the hepatic portal vein.