Triad Portal: Definition, Structure, Location, Composition and Function

It refers to a different disposition in the liver.

It is a component of the liver lobe. In each hepatic portal system, there are at least: a vein, an artery, and a bile duct.

The portal triad can refer to both the largest branch of each of these vessels that runs within the hepatoduodenal ligament and the smaller units of these vessels within the liver.

Structure and location

In the more minor portal triads, the four vessels are surrounded by hepatocytes in a network of connective tissue. The ring of hepatocytes that abuts the connective tissue of the trio is called the periportal limiting plate.

It consists of the following five structures:

  • Adequate hepatic artery: an asteroid branch of the hepatic artery that supplies oxygen.
  • Hepatic portal vein: a venular branch of the portal vein, with blood rich in nutrients but low in oxygen
  • One or two small bile ducts of cuboidal epithelium, components of the bile conduction system.
  • Lymphatic vessels.
  • Department of the vagus nerve.

Composition and function

The portal triads are composed of three primary tubes. The hepatic artery branches carry oxygenated blood to the hepatocytes, while the components of the portal vein have blood with nutrients from the small intestine.

The bile duct carries the bile products away from the hepatocytes to the larger ducts and the gallbladder.