The fetus doesn't breathe or eat anything in utero. It, however, can drink the amniotic fluid around it. It receives it's nutrition, oxygen requirement and waste excretion via maternal blood. Things enter the fetus via the umbilical veins and exit via the umbilical arteries. Thus, unlike other arteries and veins, the umbilical veins carry oxygenated blood while the umbilical arteries carry deoxygenated blood. Such contrast is also seen in the pulmonary artery and vein. Another interesting thing that caught my mind was that how does a fetus use the bladder or is it unused...on searching online, I found out that it is used to release water (not urine) into the surroundings and lack of such function can lead to hydramnios.
No comments:
Post a Comment