Question

Umbilical cord has

• A. two arteries and one vein
• B. two veins and one artery
• C. one vein and one artery
• D. two arteries and two veins

Hint:

Remember the cord has three vessels in total, not four.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Recall the anatomy of the umbilical cord.
The umbilical cord is the connection between the fetus and the placenta, and it carries three blood vessels inside a jelly-like tissue called Wharton's jelly.

Step 2: Identify the vessels and their direction of flow.
There are two umbilical arteries, which carry deoxygenated blood and waste products from the fetus back to the placenta, and one umbilical vein, which carries oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the fetus.

Step 3: Rule out the other options.
Two veins and one artery, one vein and one artery, and two arteries and two veins do not match the normal anatomy. A single umbilical artery, not a change in vein number, is the recognized abnormal variant, and it can be linked to other congenital defects, which is why doctors specifically check for two arteries on cord exam.

Step 4: Final answer.
The normal umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein.
\[ \boxed{\text{Two arteries and one vein}} \]