What is fetal circulation?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for information regarding fetal circulation, which refers to the circulatory system of a fetus during pregnancy, including how blood flows through the placenta and how oxygen and nutrients are exchanged.
Answer
Fetal circulation involves receiving oxygenated blood and nutrients through the placenta and umbilical cord.
Fetal circulation is the system through which a fetus receives oxygenated blood and nutrients from the placenta, using the umbilical cord's blood vessels. This circulatory setup allows the fetus to bypass the lungs, as it gets oxygen directly from the placenta.
Answer for screen readers
Fetal circulation is the system through which a fetus receives oxygenated blood and nutrients from the placenta, using the umbilical cord's blood vessels. This circulatory setup allows the fetus to bypass the lungs, as it gets oxygen directly from the placenta.
More Information
Fetal circulation differs significantly from adult circulation as it bypasses the lungs, which are not used for oxygen exchange until birth.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume the fetal lungs are involved in oxygen exchange, but they are bypassed in fetal circulation.
Sources
- Fetal Circulation - NCBI - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Fetal Circulation - Stanford Medicine Children's Health - stanfordchildrens.org
- Fetal Circulation | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - chop.edu
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