science

Umbilical artery

Umbilical artery is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Umbilical artery rather than just read about it. In short: The umbilical artery is a paired artery (with one for each half of the body) that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord.

Key takeaways

Umbilical artery belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Umbilical artery to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Umbilical artery from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The umbilical artery is a paired artery (with one for each half of the body) that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord.

Structure

Development The umbilical arteries supply systemic arterial blood from the fetus to the placenta. Umbilical artery blood is enriched in CO2 and has a lower oxygen content in comparison with systemic arterial blood after birth or in the adult. There are usually two umbilical arteries present together with one umbilical vein in the umbilical cord. The umbilical arteries surround the urinary bladder and then carry all the deoxygenated blood out of the fetus through the umbilical cord. Inside the placenta, the umbilical arteries connect with each other at a distance of approximately 5 mm from the cord insertion in what is called the Hyrtl anastomosis. Subsequently, they branch into chorionic arteries or intraplacental fetal arteries. The umbilical arteries are actually the anterior division of the internal iliac arteries, and retain part of this function after birth. The pressure inside the umbilical artery is approximately 50 mmHg. Resistance to blood flow decreases during development as the artery grows wider.

After development The umbilical artery regresses after birth. A portion obliterates to become the medial umbilical ligament (not to be confused with the median umbilical ligament, a different structure that represents the remnant of the embryonic urachus). A portion remains open as a branch of the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. The umbilical artery is found in the pelvis, and gives rise to the superior vesical arteries, which in males usually supplies the artery to the ductus deferens. Alternately, the latter artery can be supplied by the inferior vesical artery in some individuals.

Clinical significance A catheter may be inserted into one of the umbilical arteries of critically ill babies for drawing blood for testing. This is a common procedure in neonatal intensive care, and can often be performed until 2 weeks after birth (when the arteries start to decay too much). The umbilical arteries are typically not suitable for infusions.

Additional images

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Umbilical artery

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Umbilical artery claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Umbilical artery before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Umbilical artery ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Umbilical artery

In research: Umbilical artery appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Umbilical artery in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Umbilical artery is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arteries of the abdomen, Embryology of cardiovascular system, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Umbilical artery outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Umbilical artery in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Umbilical artery means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Umbilical artery out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Umbilical artery in simple terms?

The umbilical artery is a paired artery (with one for each half of the body) that is found in the abdominal and pelvic regions. In the fetus, it extends into the umbilical cord.

Why does Umbilical artery matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Umbilical artery?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Umbilical artery.