In the venous system of meat animals, the anterior vena cava (Figures 1-11-1) receives blood from the external (Figure 1-11-2) and internal jugulars (Figure 1-11-3) that drain the head, and from the brachials (Figure 1-11-4) that drain the forelimb. The posterior vena cava passes through the liver where it receives blood from the hepatic vein (Figure 1-11-5). The mesenterics (Figure 1-11-6) collect blood with digested nutrients from the intestines and take it to the liver in the hepatic portal vein (Figure 1-11-7) to be processed before being returned to the general circulation. The remaining major inputs to the posterior vena cava are the renals (Figure 1-11-8) from the kidneys, the ovarian or spermatic veins (depending on the sex of the animal, Figure 1-11-9)), the external iliacs (Figure 1-11-10) from the hindlimb, and the internal iliacs (Figure 1-11-11) from the penis or udder. The vena azygos (Figure 1-11-12) is a single vein on the right side of the body, running posteriorly along the vertebral column, but in the diagram it has been deflected so that it does not look as if it runs from the liver.