The nurse is reviewing fetal circulation with a pregnant patient and explains that blood circulates through the placenta to the fetus. What vessel(s) carry blood to the fetus?

The nurse is reviewing fetal circulation with a pregnant patient and explains that blood circulates through the placenta to the fetus. What vessel(s) carry blood to the fetus? The correct answer is Choice A. Choice A rationale The one umbilical vein is the single conduit for oxygen and nutrients from the placenta to the fetus, carrying oxygenated blood. This vessel originates from the chorionic plate of the placenta and traverses the umbilical cord, eventually joining the fetal circulation to supply vital organs like the liver and heart. Choice B rationale The two umbilical arteries are responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood and waste products away from the fetus to the placenta for exchange. They arise from the fetal internal iliac arteries and transport the metabolically spent blood to the chorionic villi for maternal clearance. Choice C rationale The normal human umbilical cord contains only one umbilical vein to transport oxygenated blood to the fetus, not two. The presence of two umbilical veins is a rare and often significant vascular anomaly, diverging from the standard fetal circulatory anatomy required for typical development. Choice D rationale The normal umbilical cord contains one vein and two arteries. The vein is the vessel that transports blood to the fetus. The artery's function is to transport blood away from the fetus. Therefore, one umbilical artery does not carry the principal blood supply toward the fetus.