Ductus arteriosus

Ductus arteriosus
The fetal circulatory system, with the ductus arteriosus visible at upper right.
Details
PrecursorAortic arch 6
SystemFetal circulation
SourcePulmonary artery
BranchesDescending aorta
VeinDuctus venosus
Identifiers
Latinductus arteriosus
MeSHD004373
TEarteriosus_by_E5.11.2.1.2.0.17 E5.11.2.1.2.0.17
FMA79871
Anatomical terminology

The ductus arteriosus, also called the ductus Botalli, named after the Italian physiologist Leonardo Botallo, is a blood vessel in the developing fetus connecting the trunk of the pulmonary artery to the proximal descending aorta. It allows most of the blood from the right ventricle to bypass the fetus's fluid-filled non-functioning lungs. Upon closure at birth, it becomes the ligamentum arteriosum.[clarification needed]