noun
- The posterior vena cava; a major vein in vertebrates that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower body to the heart.
Usage: anatomy; also called the caudal vena cava in some animals
Examples
- The postcava is one of the two largest veins in the human body.
- Blood from the legs and abdomen flows through the postcava to reach the right atrium of the heart.
- In fish anatomy, the postcava serves a similar function to the posterior vena cava in mammals.
- The surgeon carefully identified the postcava during the abdominal procedure.
- Damage to the postcava can result in serious circulatory complications.