Osmosis video - Cerebral circulation

The cerebral circulation is responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain and removing carbon dioxide and other waste products. To ensure an uninterrupted blood supply to the brain, cerebral circulation consists of anterior and posterior parts. These two circulations, together, form a network of vessels known as the arterial circle of Willis. The anterior circulation consists of the internal carotid arteries and branches, which are the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. The anterior communicating artery connects the two anterior cerebral arteries.

The posterior circulation comes from the two vertebral arteries, which merge into the basilar artery and split into posterior cerebral arteries. Posterior cerebral arteries give off the left and right posterior communicating arteries, which then merge with the internal carotid arteries. Venous blood drains into the dural sinuses, which empty into the jugular veins and return to the heart through the superior vena cava.