The ovarian artery is an

artery An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

that supplies

oxygenated blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the Cell (biology), cells, and transports Metabolic waste, metabolic waste products away from th ...

to the

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

in females. It arises from the abdominal aorta below the renal artery. It can be found within the

suspensory ligament of the ovary The suspensory ligament of the ovary, also infundibulopelvic ligament (commonly abbreviated IP ligament or simply IP), is a fold of peritoneum that extends out from the ovary to the wall of the pelvis. Some sources consider it a part of the broad ...

, anterior to the ovarian vein and

ureter The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In an adult human, the ureters typically measure 20 to 30 centimeters in length and about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. They are lin ...

Structure

The ovarian arteries are paired structures that arise from the abdominal aorta, usually at the level of L2. After emerging from the aorta, the artery travels within the

and enters the mesovarium. The ovarian arteries are the corresponding arteries in the

female An organism's sex is female ( symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and ...

to the testicular artery in the

male Male (Planet symbols, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or Egg cell, ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot sexual repro ...

. They are shorter than the testicular arteries, as the testicular arteries courses through the abdominal wall to the external

scrotum In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin ...

. The origin and course of the first part of each artery are the same as those of the testicular artery, but on arriving at the upper opening of the

lesser pelvis The pelvic cavity is a body cavity that is bounded by the bones of the pelvis. Its oblique roof is the pelvic inlet (the superior opening of the pelvis). Its lower boundary is the pelvic floor. The pelvic cavity primarily contains the reproduc ...

the ovarian artery passes inward, between the two layers of the ovariopelvic ligament and of the

broad ligament of the uterus The broad ligament of the uterus is the wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis. Structure Subdivisions Contents The contents of the broad ligament include the following: * Reproduc ...

, to be distributed to the ovary.

Anastamoses

The ovarian artery may anastamose with the uterine artery in the broad ligament. This is thus an anastamosis between the abdominal aorta and the anterior internal iliac artery.

Branches

Small branches are given to the

and the uterine tube, one passes on to the side of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

, and unites with the uterine artery. Other offsets continue on the round ligament of the uterus, through the

inguinal canal The inguinal canal is a passage in the anterior abdominal wall on each side of the body (one on each side of the midline), which in males, convey the spermatic cords and in females, the round ligament of the uterus. The inguinal canals are lar ...

, and to the integument of the labium majus and

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

Variance

In 20%, they arise from the renal arteries (inferior polar). Uncommonly they may arise from adrenal, lumbar, or internal iliac arteries.Chiva, L. M., & Magrina, J. (2018). Abdominal and Pelvic Anatomy. Principles of Gynecologic Oncology Surgery, 3–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-42878-1.00002-x

Function

The ovarian artery supplies blood to the

and

. The ovarian arteries swell during pregnancy, in order to increase the uterine blood supply.

Additional images

File:Gray531.png, The abdominal aorta and its branches. File:Gray589.png, Vessels of the uterus and its appendages, rear view. File:Gray1161.png, Uterus and right broad ligament, seen from behind.

References

External links

"Anastomoses Between Utero - Ovarian Arteries, Variations" at anatomyatlases.org
* () * {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen