Final answer:
Blood from the right cheek would initially drain into the external jugular or facial veins, flow through the internal jugular vein, and enter the superior vena cava. Next, it moves through the heart to the lungs for oxygenation. Finally, after systemic circulation, deoxygenated blood from below the diaphragm enters the inferior vena cava on its path back to the right atrium of the heart.
Step-by-step explanation:
To trace the path of a drop of blood from the right cheek to the inferior vena cava, it is important to understand the vascular system and its components. The veins in the face, such as those near the cheek, will drain into the external jugular vein or facial veins. These, in turn, feed into the internal jugular vein. From the internal jugular vein, blood will flow into the brachiocephalic veins, which join together to form the superior vena cava. However, to reach the inferior vena cava, blood must first enter the right atrium of the heart, pass through the right ventricle, and be pumped into the pulmonary artery to the lungs to be oxygenated.
After oxygenation, blood returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins into the left atrium, passes through the left ventricle, and is pumped out through the aorta. The oxygenated blood is then distributed throughout the body. As the blood reaches the systemic circuit and delivers oxygen to the tissues, the now deoxygenated blood will ultimately collect into the inferior vena cava to complete its journey back to the right atrium.
It is important to note that the blood from the head and neck typically drains into the superior vena cava. However, since the question asks for the path to the inferior vena cava, it is assumed that the blood has circulated through the body and reached areas below the diaphragm before entering the inferior vena cava. The inferior vena cava is the large systemic vein that drains blood from areas largely inferior to the diaphragm.