Paired artery that, in the fetus, returns deoxygenated blood from each half of the fetal body to the placenta, via the umbilical cord.
Note: In the
adult, part of the umbilical artery remains open as a branch of the internal
iliac artery, and part ceases to be an artery and becomes the medial umbilical ligament.
Source:
PAC, 2016, 88, 713. 'Glossary of terms used in developmental and reproductive toxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2016)' on page 817 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-1202)