Ductus arteriosus

Ductus arteriosus
The fetal circulatory system, with the ductus arteriosus visible at upper right.
Details
Precursor	Aortic arch 6
System	Fetal circulation
Source	Pulmonary artery
Branches	Descending aorta
Vein	Ductus venosus
Identifiers
Latin	ductus arteriosus
MeSH	D004373
TE	arteriosus_by_E5.11.2.1.2.0.17 E5.11.2.1.2.0.17
FMA	79871
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

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]}