A doctor recently shared an ultrasound image of his patient on Twitter. At first glance, this image, which can be likened to paws or even brass knuckles, must have confused the patient as well: “Doctor, what are these paws, am I going to give birth to a cat?” he asked.
“I gave birth, my child.” What does this image actually belong to?
What if we say, “Something that connects a person to life…”?
Of course, cat-dog paws also connect people to life. However, it’s a little more biological in this image. Have you started to think of anything?
Yeah! This paw-like image is actually an “umbilical cord.”
This ultrasound image, which can be understood as the stomach of someone who has swallowed a knuckle, is actually the umbilical cord that our parents buried enthusiasm in the university gardens.
The umbilical cord of the fetus is not directly connected to the mother’s circulatory system, but to the placenta. As the doctor said, it is a bond that “connects people to life”.
The umbilical cord has a unique structure compared to other organs.
The vein of the umbilical cord, which is a part of the fetus, transmits oxygenated and nutritious blood from the placenta. Arteries, on the other hand, carry deoxygenated and nutrient-dense blood pumped by the baby’s heart.
Also, it is not unusual in our biology for a vein to carry oxygenated blood and for arteries to carry deoxygenated blood. The presence of 2 arteries and 1 vein in the umbilical cord, unlike other organs, creates a cute paw-like image.
The umbilical cord is almost 50 cm long and is so strong that it can only be cut with a scalpel!
Since the umbilical cord has a very strong structure, it should only be cut with a very sharp instrument such as a scalpel. The 50 cm long and 2 cm diameter umbilical cord can pose a great risk to the baby if cut prematurely or late.
After the ligament is cut, a wound remains on our navel, and the image that emerges after this wound heals is our “belly button”. Other mammals also have an umbilical cord. They break this bond by biting, so the enzyme in their saliva prevents bleeding after the rupture.
Under the tweet shared by the doctor, there are also funny comments such as:
- Sources: Mehmet Emin Adin, Turkish
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