The hepatic portal vein carries blood from the alimentary canal to the …

• A. Liver
• B. Heart
• C. Lungs
• D. Spleen

Answer: (A)

Blood from the digestive tract travels through the hepatic portal system, delivering nutrient‑rich and potentially harmful substances to the liver for processing. The hepatic portal vein collects blood from the gut (and associated organs) and delivers it to the liver, where nutrients are stored or metabolized and toxins are detoxified before the blood re-enters the general circulation. This pathway highlights how the liver acts as a first-pass filter for substances absorbed from the alimentary canal.

It doesn’t go to the heart or the lungs directly, since those organs receive blood via the systemic and pulmonary circuits after the liver processes it. While the spleen drains into the portal system, the portal vein’s destination is the liver, not the spleen.