Which structure connects the fetus to the placenta?

• A. Umbilical Cord
• B. Placenta
• C. Amniotic Sac
• D. Amniotic Fluid

Answer: (A)

The link between the fetus and the placenta is the umbilical cord. It houses fetal blood vessels—two arteries and one vein—surrounded by Wharton’s jelly, and it serves as the route for blood to flow between the fetus and the placenta. Blood travels from the fetus to the placenta through the arteries, carrying waste and deoxygenated blood, and returns to the fetus through the vein, delivering oxygen and nutrients. The placenta is the site where exchange with maternal blood occurs, but it is not the connecting structure itself. The amniotic sac encloses the fetus, filled with amniotic fluid for protection and growth, but it does not connect the fetus to the placenta.