Venous system
What is venous system?
The venous system is part of the cardiovascular system, consisting of a couple of complex anatomic structures.
As opposed to arteries, the blood flow in the veins is not supported by heart activity and gravity, i.e. blood flow downwards, but vice versa. Veins have their own (independent) system that overcome gravity and convey blood to the heart.
Parts of the venous system – deep and superficial veins
The venous system is divided into superficial and deep veins.
The superficial veins are located on skin surface, conveying blood in one direction, into the deep veins.
The deep veins convey 90% of blood to the heart. They are located beneath the muscles and close to the bones, their walls are very elastic, because besides conveying blood to the heart, their task is also to store large blood supplies, from 5 to 7 litres.
