umbilical cord
conduit between embryo/fetus and the placenta
AI overview
The umbilical cord is the tube-like structure that connects a developing baby to the placenta during pregnancy. It carries nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the fetus and removes waste products, making it essential for the baby's growth and survival before birth.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
55,156 papers- Umbilical Cord Abnormalities.Clinical obstetrics and gynecology · 2025
- Umbilical Cord Hematoma.Fetal and pediatric pathology · 2019
- ACOG Clinical Practice Update: An Update to Clinical Guidance for Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping After Birth in Preterm Neonates.Obstetrics and gynecology · 2025
- MR Imaging of Umbilical Cord Variations, Abnormalities, and Associated Placental Findings.Magnetic resonance in medical sciences : MRMS : an official journal of Japan Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine · 2025
- Ultrasound screening of umbilical cord abnormalities and delivery management.Placenta · 2018
via PubMed
Article
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord (also called the navel string, birth cord or funiculus umbilicalis) is a conduit between the developing embryo or fetus and the placenta. During prenatal development, the umbilical cord is physiologically and genetically part of the fetus and (in humans) normally contains two arteries (the umbilical arteries) and one vein (the umbilical vein), buried within Wharton's jelly. The umbilical vein supplies the fetus with oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta. Conversely, the fetal heart pumps low-oxygen, nutrient-depleted blood through the umbilical arteries back to the placenta.
Structure and development