Ductus venosus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vein: Ductus venosus | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Fetal circulation. The ductus venosus (red) connects the umbilical vein to the inferior vena cava. | ||
 |
||
| The liver and the veins in connection with it, of a human embryo, twenty-four or twenty-five days old, as seen from the ventral surface. | ||
| Gray's | subject #139 540 | |
In the fetus, ductus venosus shunts a significant minority of the blood flow of the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava. Thus, it allows oxygenated blood from the placenta to bypass the liver. In conjunction with another fetal shunt, foramen ovale, it plays a critical role in preferentially shunting oxygenated blood to the fetal brain.
Ductus venosus is open at the time of the birth and is the reason why umbilical vein catherization works. Ductus venosus naturally closes during the first week of life in most full-term neonates; however, it may take much longer to close in pre-term neonates.
After it closes, the remnant is known as ligamentum venosum.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- GPnotebook 678101050 - Ductus venosus (embryology)
 |
This cardiovascular system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
