Final answer:
The umbilical cord contains two umbilical arteries and one umbilical vein. The arteries carry deoxygenated blood and waste from the fetus to the placenta, while the vein transports oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the fetus. Post-birth, these vessels collapse and become fibrotic remnants in the adult body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Umbilical Cord Vessels
The umbilical cord contains three primary blood vessels that are crucial for fetal development. There are two umbilical arteries and a single umbilical vein. The umbilical arteries are responsible for carrying blood that is low in oxygen and high in waste products away from the fetus to the placenta. Here, the blood exchanges waste for nutrients and oxygen through a process that does not involve the mixing of fetal and maternal blood. After this exchange, the much richer and oxygenated blood flows back to the fetus through the umbilical vein. This vein is the only vessel in the umbilical cord that carries oxygenated blood from the placenta directly to the fetal heart. Post-birth, the process of the umbilical cord being clamped and cut leads to the collapse of these vessels, and they eventually become fibrotic remnants in the adult body.
The umbilical vein is particularly important as it fills the essential role of delivering nutrient-filled, oxygenated blood from the placenta to the growing fetus. On the other hand, the umbilical arteries are responsible for returning deoxygenated blood from the fetus to the placenta. The functionality of these vessels is paramount for the survival and development of the fetus as they are the lifeline connecting the fetus to the placenta, allowing for essential exchange of substances such as oxygen and waste products between the two.