A fetal blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery with the descending aorta[MESH]. In the developing fetus, the ductus arteriosus is a shunt connecting the pulmonary artery to the aortic arch. It allows most of the blood from the right ventricle to bypass the fetus' fluid-filled lungs, protecting the lungs from being overworked and allowing the left ventricle to strengthen. There are two other fetal shunts, the ductus venosus and the foramen ovale[MP]. the fetal vessel that connects the left pulmonary artery with the descending aorta; the ductus arteriosus normally regresses into a fibrous cord, the ligamentum arteriousum after birth[MP].
ductus venosus +
esophageal artery
ethmoidal artery +
extraembryonic portion of umbilical artery +
femoral artery +
future internal carotid artery +
gastroduodenal artery +
helicine branch of uterine artery
hypobranchial vessel
ileal artery
ileocolic artery
iliac artery +
iliolumbar artery
inferior epigastric artery +
inferior hypophysial artery
inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery
inferior suprarenal artery
inferior vesical artery +
intercostal artery +
internal pudendal artery
internal thoracic artery +
jejunal artery
lacrimal artery
lateral dorsal aorta canal
lateral palpebral artery
lateral pretrosal artery +
left channel of ventral aorta
left colic artery
left gastric artery
left gastroepiploic artery
mammary branch of internal thoracic artery
mandibular artery
medial circumflex femoral artery
medial palpebral artery
medial plantar artery
middle colic artery
middle temporal artery
muscular artery
nutrient foramen artery
obturator artery
ocular angle artery
ophthalmic artery +
ophthalmotemporal branch of external ophthalmic artery