In fetal circulation, which vessel carries blood from the placenta to the fetus?

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Multiple Choice

In fetal circulation, which vessel carries blood from the placenta to the fetus?

In fetal circulation, the placenta provides the oxygen and nutrients, and blood reaches the fetus through the umbilical vein. This vessel carries oxygenated blood from the placenta into the fetus via the umbilical cord. Inside the fetus, that blood can bypass the liver and move toward the heart, then on to the rest of the body. The other two vessels and shunts you see in the options—umbilical arteries, ductus arteriosus, and foramen ovale—play different roles. Umbilical arteries carry blood from the fetus back to the placenta, not from the placenta to the fetus. The ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale are fetal heart pathways that redirect blood to bypass the nonfunctional lungs, not routes from placenta to fetal circulation.

In fetal circulation, the placenta provides the oxygen and nutrients, and blood reaches the fetus through the umbilical vein. This vessel carries oxygenated blood from the placenta into the fetus via the umbilical cord. Inside the fetus, that blood can bypass the liver and move toward the heart, then on to the rest of the body. The other two vessels and shunts you see in the options—umbilical arteries, ductus arteriosus, and foramen ovale—play different roles. Umbilical arteries carry blood from the fetus back to the placenta, not from the placenta to the fetus. The ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale are fetal heart pathways that redirect blood to bypass the nonfunctional lungs, not routes from placenta to fetal circulation.

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