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Prior to birth the foetus is not capable of cadiovascular function and thus is relies on the maternal circulation to carry out gas, nutirent and waste exchange. The foetal and maternal blood never mix, instead they interface at the [[Female Reproductive Tract -Placenta - Anatomy & Physiology|placenta]]. Consequently the liver and the lungs are not required function either and a series of shunts exist in the foetal circulation so that these organs are almost completely bipased   
 
Prior to birth the foetus is not capable of cadiovascular function and thus is relies on the maternal circulation to carry out gas, nutirent and waste exchange. The foetal and maternal blood never mix, instead they interface at the [[Female Reproductive Tract -Placenta - Anatomy & Physiology|placenta]]. Consequently the liver and the lungs are not required function either and a series of shunts exist in the foetal circulation so that these organs are almost completely bipased   
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rendering organs such as the [[Liver - Anatomy & Physiology|liver]] and lungs surplus to requirement. There are a number of foetal circulatory shunts that ensure oxygen and nutrient rich blood flows directly to the most important organs, namely the brain, heart and adrenal glands.
      
====Shunt 1: The Ductus Venosus====
 
====Shunt 1: The Ductus Venosus====
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