PhysiologyLesson 6 of 6 in the course The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels and Circulation

Embryonic Vessel Formation and Fetal Circulation

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Blood vessels and blood cells begin developing very early in embryonic life, allowing the growing embryo to receive oxygen and nutrients and remove wastes. This lesson explains how early vessel-forming cells develop and join into a connected network.

Blood cell and vessel production begins outside the embryo proper in structures such as the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk about 15 to 16 days after fertilization. Development within the embryo begins approximately two days later. The heart begins beating around day 21, and circulation patterns are clearly established by the fourth week.

All flashcards

Hemangioblast
A mesoderm-derived precursor that gives rise to angioblasts and pluripotent stem cells.
Angiogenesis
The formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels.
Umbilical vein
The vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the placenta toward the fetus.
Ductus venosus
A fetal vessel that lets much placental blood bypass the liver and reach the inferior vena cava.
Ligamentum venosum
The remnant formed when the ductus venosus closes after birth.

Quiz questions

  1. In embryonic development, when does blood and vessel production begin in extraembryonic structures?Answer: About 15 to 16 days after fertilization
  2. What is the placenta's principal role in fetal circulation?Answer: It exchanges gases, nutrients, and wastes between maternal and fetal circulations.
  3. In which direction does blood flow through the umbilical arteries?Answer: From the fetus to the placenta
  4. Which route does the foramen ovale provide for fetal blood?Answer: From the right atrium to the left atrium
  5. What structure remains after the ductus arteriosus closes?Answer: The ligamentum arteriosum

Based on Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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