Which fetal structure connects the pulmonary trunk to the aorta?

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In fetal circulation, blood is shunted away from the nonfunctional lungs so it can go directly into the systemic circulation. The vessel that connects the pulmonary trunk to the aorta serves this purpose, allowing blood from the right ventricle to bypass the lungs and enter the body through the aorta. After birth, this vessel closes in response to increased oxygen and falling prostaglandins, eventually becoming the ligamentum arteriosum. Other fetal vessels have different routes: the foramen ovale shunts blood between the atria, the umbilical vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta, and the ductus venosus directs placental blood to the inferior vena cava. The structure that directly links the pulmonary trunk to the aorta is the ductus arteriosus.