Jugular Vein Anatomy

The jugular vein anatomy is one of the most important aspects of the circulatory system as this is a vein that is responsible for carrying the deoxygenated blood from the brain and superficial parts of the neck and face. The importance of the jugular vein can be understood from the fact that this vein can signify heart problems and can even be used for inflicting fatal damage to a person. The jugular vein anatomy is quite unique as the jugular vein is composed of four different veins. The first set of veins is known as the internal jugular vein, while the second set of veins is named as external jugular vein. These sets of 2 are responsible for draining out a majority of deoxygenated blood from the brain.

Internal Jugular Vein Anatomy

The internal jugular vein anatomy is a bit more important than the external jugular vein anatomy as this is the vein which is responsible for the blood drainage from the brain and other parts of the face. After collecting blood from the brain, face and neck, the internal jugular vein moves down the neck along the internal and common carotid arteries, to finally unite with the subclavian vein that ends up in innominate vein. The difference in the internal jugular vein anatomy and the external jugular vein anatomy has brought about a huge discrepancy in the popularity of the jugular veins. The internal jugular vein anatomy makes it an important vein which can lead to instant death of the person. If the internal jugular vein gets ruptured, it can lead to a high amount of blood loss and death of the person. Further, the prominent internal jugular vein can even signify a congestive heart failure and this is why it is considered to be a lot more important.

External Jugular Vein

The external jugular vein is the next set of veins that are considered in the jugular vein category. The external jugular vein collects deoxygenated blood from outside the skull and major parts of the face. After collecting blood from the mentioned parts, it moves along the sternocleidomastoid muscle, passes down the neck and finally joins the subclavian vein. The external jugular vein is not as popular as the internal one and most people associate the meaning of jugular vein with internal jugular vein only.

Importance of the Internal Jugular Vein

The importance of the internal jugular vein can be illustrated through various facts and observations that have come about for this jugular vein. There are some amazing facts that apply to the internal jugular vein, and which are completely absent in the external jugular vein. The first most important fact related to internal jugular vein is that this vein carries a lot of blood and is quite superficial in nature. This is why any kind of injury to this superficial part of the internal jugular vein, usually present at the side of the neck, can result in a lot of blood loss very quickly and can even lead to death. There have been instances in the past where the internal jugular vein was used as a potential medium for assassination a person. This is also the reason why the internal jugular vein has made popular the saying ‘attack the jugular’, to indicate a vital or vulnerable point. Apart from these facts, the internal jugular vein is also responsible for indicating at a potential congestive heart failure, through the means of its superficial nature.

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