vitelline vein
Quick Summary
The vitelline veins are embryonic blood vessels that carry blood from the yolk sac to the heart. During prenatal development, primitive veins form symmetrically. These include the vitelline veins, umbilical veins, and veins from the cranial and caudal regions of the body.12
As development progresses, significant transformations occur in these veins. The vitelline veins primarily give rise to the portal and hepatic veins. In early embryonic stages, the heart rudiment develops from the ventral edges of the mesodermal mantle. Posterior extensions from the heart form the paired vitelline veins, which branch out and pass through the liver, breaking into hepatic sinusoids on their way to the heart.12
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