The jugular vein (JV) removes blood from the organs and tissues of the head into the vena cava. It is internal and external.
1. The first of these is located at a fairly close distance from the surface of the body, so it can be seen with the appropriate muscle tension. It is located in the jugular gutter, and conducts blood from the back of the head, skin of the neck and chin, and then flows into the internal jaw. It has valves and other veins flow into it, such as:
a) the anterior jugular vein - originates in the area of the chin, goes down to the surface of the sternum-hyoid muscle. There are two of them, on both sides they descend into the suprasternal space, where they are connected by means of an anastomosis (jugular arch). Thus, the anterior jugular veins, merging, form a neck vein.
b) the posterior ear vein - conducts blood coming from the plexus, which is located behind the auricle. It is located behind the ear.
c) occipital - conducts blood from the venous plexus in the occipital part of the head, it flows into the external nuclear explosive, and sometimes into the internal.
d) suprascapular - passes along with the artery and has the appearance of two trunks connecting into one in the final section of the subclavian vein.
The jugular vein (external) contains valves.
2. A special role is played by the internal jugular vein. It originates in the place of the jugular opening, which is located at the base of the skull, obliquely runs down the neck under the sternocleidomastoid muscle, ending in its lateral sections at the base of the neck.
In the case of turning the head in the other direction, it goes to the junction of the auricle and sternoclavicular joint, located in the carotid sac of the carotid artery and lateral nerve.
It should also be noted that in the brain, namely in its hard shell, are systems of venous vessels that flow into the veins and drain blood from the specified organ. All of them are joined together and form the venous sinuses of the dura mater. So, the blood is concentrated in two sigmoid sinuses passing through certain holes in the cranium. In this way, the right and left internal jugular veins are formed.
A little further, they include inflows that divert blood from the pharynx and larynx, salivary glands, oral and nasal cavities, as well as the skin of the neck and head and thyroid gland. Other veins, such as:
a) facial - originates from the lower jaw, at the confluence of two veins (front facial and posterior), goes down, then back. She has no valves.
b) thyroid veins - accompany the arteries and flow into the facial vein or into the lingual. They have valves.
c) pharyngeal - originate from the surface of the pharynx, the veins of the vidian canal, palate, Eustachian tube flow into them . Their number may be different, they do not have valves.
d) lingual vein - is located near the artery, leaving it, it lies on the surface of the lingual muscle and runs parallel to the hyoid nerve. It has valves.
It should be noted that all veins of the head have anastomoses with venous sinuses through the bones of the skull. So, they are located on the inner corner of the eyes, behind the auricle, in the crown of the head. These anastomoses make it possible to regulate the pressure in the cranium. Also, in the event of inflammation in the tissues, they serve as the transition of inflammation to the membranes of the brain, which is a rather dangerous phenomenon.
Thus, the internal jugular vein, connecting with the subclavian, forms the trunk of the superior vena cava.
The jugular vein, located on the neck, produces an outflow of blood from the tissues and organs of the head, and is part of the superior vena cava. It consists of two pairs (external and internal), which perform important functions in the regulation of blood flow, being an integral part of the human circulatory system.