Differences between Adult and Fetal Circulation

Subject: Midwifery I (Theory)

Overview

The fetus develops its own blood cells and circulatory system throughout the intrauterine stage, although oxygen and nutrients are received from the placenta via diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. Aside from these differences, fetal circulation differs from adult circulation in the following ways: oxygenated blood from the placenta is delivered by the umbilical vein, which is mingled with the inferior vena cava before entering the right atrium. So, in the fetal circulation, mixed-blood circulates but the percentage of oxygen presence varies in different vessels, the lung does not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide but absorbs oxygen for lung tissue development, so a limited amount of blood is supplied to the lungs through the pulmonary artery, the venous and atrial blood is mixed in the fetal circulation but the venous and arterial blood is no longer mixed in the adult circulation. The aorta in adult circulation transports exclusively oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to the rest of the body, whereas the aorta in fetal circulation carries mixed blood.

The fetus develops its own blood cells and circulatory system throughout the intrauterine stage, although oxygen and nutrients are received from the placenta via diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. In fetal circulation, there are four transient formations. Apart from these differences, fetal circulation differs from adult circulation in the following ways:

  • The placenta's oxygenated blood is taken out by the umbilical vein, which is mingled with the inferior vena cava before entering the right atrium. As a result, mixed blood (oxygen and carbon dioxide) is pumped into the fetal circulation, but the quantity of oxygen present varies in different veins.
  • The lung does not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, but it does absorb oxygen for lung tissue development, hence the pulmonary artery only supplies a limited volume of blood to the lungs. The oxygenated blood from the placenta is carried out by the umbilical vein which is mixed with the inferior vena cava before entering the right atrium. So in the fetal circulation, mixed blood ( oxygen and carbon dioxide) is circulated but the percentage of oxygen present is varied in different vessels.
  • The lung does not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, but it does absorb oxygen for lung tissue development, hence the pulmonary artery only supplies a limited volume of blood to the lungs.
  • The majority of blood is moved from the right atrium to the left atrium via the foramen ovale, with relatively little being pumped into the right ventricle to supply the lungs.
  • In fetal circulation, venous and atrial blood are combined, whereas venous and arterial blood is no longer mingled in adult circulation.
  • The aorta in adult circulation transports exclusively oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to the rest of the body, whereas the aorta in fetal circulation carries mixed blood.
  • The deoxygenated blood of the body is discharged into the placenta via the hypogastric arteries, which are branches of the internal iliac arteries, during fetal circulation.

Following delivery, the temporary structures are transformed into various components and organs to form an adult circulation.

References

  • Embryology. 27 01 2017. 07 03 2017 < http://www.embryology.ch/anglais/pcardio/umstellung01.html
  • Berkeley. http://mcb.berkeley.edu/courses/mcb135e/fetal.
  • Tuitui R. 2002, A textbook of Midwifery A (Antenatal), 3rd edition, Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandari (Publisher and Distributor), Bhotahity, Kathmandu
  • Wong, D.L., 1995, Whaley and Wongs, Nursing care of infants and Children, 5th edition, Mosby, St.louis, London, Philadelphia
  • Saxton, D.F., 2001, Mosby’s comprehensive review of the nursing 17th edition, Mosby Yearbook, St. Louis-London, Philadelphia, Sydney.
Things to remember
  • The fetus develops its own blood cells and circulatory system throughout the intrauterine stage, although oxygen and nutrients are received from the placenta via diffusion, osmosis, and active transport.
  • In fetal circulation, there are four transient formations.
  • The placenta's oxygenated blood is taken out by the umbilical vein, which is mingled with the inferior vena cava before entering the right atrium.
  • The lung does not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, but it does absorb oxygen for lung tissue development, hence the pulmonary artery only supplies a limited volume of blood to the lungs.
  • The majority of blood is moved from the right atrium to the left atrium via the foramen ovale, with relatively little being pumped into the right ventricle to supply the lungs.
  • The aorta in adult circulation transports exclusively oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to the rest of the body, whereas the aorta in fetal circulation carries mixed blood.
  • The deoxygenated blood of the body is discharged into the placenta via the hypogastric arteries, which are branches of the internal iliac arteries, during fetal circulation.
Questions and Answers

Differences between Adult and Fetal circulation:

The fetus develops its own blood cells and circulatory system throughout the intrauterine stage, but it still depends on the placenta for oxygen and nutrients via active transport, osmosis, and diffusion. The fetal circulation has four transient structures. The fetal circulation differs from adult circulation, with the exception of these, in the following ways:

  • The umbilical vein transports the oxygenated placental blood, which is combined with the inferior vena cava before entering the right atrium. Therefore, mixed blood (oxygen and carbon dioxide) is pumped in the fetal circulation, but the amount of oxygen varies in different veins.
  • A small amount of blood is given to the lungs through the pulmonary artery since the lung does not exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide but instead absorbs oxygen for the development of lung tissue.
  • Most of the blood from the right atrium is transferred to the left atrium through the foramen ovale, and relatively little is pushed into the right ventricle to supply the lungs.
  • In fetal circulation, the venous and atrial blood are mixed, whereas in adult circulation, the venous and arterial blood are no longer mixed.
  • In contrast to fetal circulation, which contains mixed blood, adult circulation only transports oxygenated blood from the left side of the heart to the rest of the body via the aorta.
  • In fetal circulation, the hypogastric arteries, which are the branches of the internal iliac arteries, allow the body's deoxygenated blood to empty into the placenta.

Following delivery, the temporary structures are transformed into various organs and body parts to establish an adult circulatory system.

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