Cardinal Vein (Noun)
Meaning
Any of the major venous channels in primitive adult vertebrates and in embryos of higher vertebrates.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- In primitive adult vertebrates, the cardinal vein system is responsible for draining the majority of the body's venous blood.
- In higher vertebrates, the cardinal veins disappear as the animal develops and are replaced by more specialized venous structures.
- The posterior cardinal vein is one of a pair, one located on each side of the body, that drain blood from the lateral plate mesoderm.
- In reptiles and amphibians, the cardinal veins persist as the main venous drainage of the body for the entire lifespan of the animal.
- The anterior cardinal vein combines with the common cardinal vein to form the main venous return to the heart in early vertebrate embryos.