Hepatic Portal System & Special Circulation
✅ Asked in NEET 2022A unique vascular connection between the digestive tract and liver is called _____. [NEET 2022 Phase 2]
A unique vascular connection between the digestive tract and liver is called _____. [NEET 2022 Phase 2]
The hepatic portal vein drains blood to liver from (NEET 2017)
Answer & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: C — Hepatic portal system
Hepatic portal system is the unique vascular connection between digestive tract and liver. It allows nutrient-rich blood from intestines to be processed by liver before entering general circulation. This is different from normal venous return and is specifically described in NCERT circulation chapter.
Read more NCERT concept on the PYQ
The hepatic portal vein carries blood from intestine to the liver before it is delivered to the systemic circulation. A special coronary system of blood vessels is present in our body exclusively for the circulation of blood to and from the cardiac musculature.
The hepatic portal vein is unique because it carries nutrient-rich but oxygen-poor blood from the intestines directly to the liver BEFORE it enters systemic circulation—this allows the liver to process absorbed nutrients and filter toxins before distribution. Students often confuse this with regular veins carrying blood directly to the heart, or forget that portal circulation is a vein-to-organ-to-vein system, not vein-to-heart. NTA frequently tests whether you understand why this special routing is necessary: the liver must process intestinal contents first. Remember: hepatic portal = intestine→liver→heart, not intestine→heart directly. The coronary system similarly shows specialized circulation for specific organs.
What does NCERT say about hepatic portal vein carries?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.