Middle colic artery

The middle colic artery is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery that mostly supplies the transverse colon. It arises just below the pancreas. It passes inferiorly and anteriorly between the layers of the transverse mesocolon, and divides into left and right branches. The right branch anastomoses with the right colic artery, and the left anastomoses with the left colic artery, a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery. This sequence of anastomses are frequently referred to as the marginal artery of the colon. The middle colic artery is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery that mostly supplies the transverse colon. It arises just below the pancreas. It passes inferiorly and anteriorly between the layers of the transverse mesocolon, and divides into left and right branches. The right branch anastomoses with the right colic artery, and the left anastomoses with the left colic artery, a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery. This sequence of anastomses are frequently referred to as the marginal artery of the colon. The arches thus formed are placed about two fingers’ breadth from the transverse colon, to which they distribute branches. This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 609 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)