Ligamentum teres is a remnant of which fetal vessel?

Study liver anatomy and function with our medical students test. Engage with detailed multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

The ligamentum teres hepatis is the fibrous remnant of the umbilical vein. In fetal life the umbilical vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus, providing a direct route into the liver. After birth, the vein becomes obliterated and transforms into a fibrous cord that runs in the free edge of the falciform ligament from the umbilicus to the porta hepatis. This contrasts with other fetal vessels: the umbilical arteries become the medial umbilical ligaments, and the ductus venosus forms the ligamentum venosum. The portal vein and hepatic veins are not remnants of a single fetal vessel that persists as a ligament along the umbilicus.