Which organ is bypassed by the ductus venosus during fetal life?

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During fetal life, oxygenated blood from the placenta travels through the umbilical vein and is directed by a short shunt, the ductus venosus, directly into the inferior vena cava. This pathway bypasses the liver, delivering well-oxygenated blood to the heart and brain more efficiently. The liver still receives some blood via the portal system, but the majority of hepatic perfusion is by this bypass route. After birth, the ductus venosus closes and becomes the ligamentum venosum, restoring full hepatic circulation. The lungs are bypassed by a different fetal shunt (ductus arteriosus), not by the ductus venosus, and the spleen and kidneys are not the vessels involved in this bypass.