In: Anatomy and Physiology
Ductus Arteriosus is a vestigial structure in adult humans but it was a functional structure vin the fetal heart. It was a blood vessel that connecting the aortic arch and the pulmonary trunk in the fetus. It's function was to by pass the lungs. We know that the pulmonary trunk takes blood to lungs and aortic arch takes blood to body. So by this bypass structure blood dosent reach the lungs. In the initial fetal structure the lungs is in a developer stage and the heart is functional. The oxygen and nutrients reach the body from maternal circulation. So this vessel bypasses the blood circulation to the lungs by the pulmonary trunk and that blood to be delivered to the lungs bypass and reaches the aortic arch and thus reaches the body circulation. It closes during the first inspiration by the lungs and thia closure is known as functional closure. After that the ductus Arteriosus breaks down.