Liver - Development

In the fetus, the liver develops from the hepatic diverticulum, and draw blood from the arteries that carry blood from the vitelline yolk sac. Top diverticulum causes hepatocytes and bile ducts, the lower the gallbladder with cystic duct.

During fetal development, the main source of blood to the liver is the umbilical vein that transport nutrients to the fetus. The umbilical vein enters the abdomen at the navel and moves next to the free end of the falciform muscle on the bottom exterior of the liver, where it joins the left branch of portal vein. Ductal Aranza brings blood from the left branch of portal vein branches of the left hepatic vein and then into the lower vein vein so that blood from the placenta to bypass the delivery of the fetus.

Liver in the fetus develops during pregnancy and do not perform the normal function of blood purification. The activities associated with digestion, because the fetus is fed directly from the mother's bloodstream through the placenta. Releases fetal liver stem cells migrate to the thymus and fetal red blood cells and T cells after birth, the shift of stem cells in bone marrow.

Within five days after birth, the umbilical vein and ductus venosus closes first, Teresa and the ligamentum venosus ligament seconds. In the case of cash or portal vein hypertension, the umbilical vein again.