Anatomy: fetus in utero

In-Depth

Here’s a detailed explanation of the placement and purpose of the key elements in your baby’s pre-birth development.

Amniotic sac - a thin-walled sac that surrounds your fetus during pregnancy. The sac is filled with amniotic fluid - liquid made by your fetus and the amnion (the membrane that covers the fetal side of the placenta) which protects your fetus from injury and helps to regulate its temperature.
Anus - the opening at the end of the anal canal.
Cervix - the lower part of the uterus that projects into the vagina. Made up of mostly fibrous tissue and muscle, the cervix is circular in shape.
Fetus - an unborn baby from the eighth week after fertilization until birth.
Placenta - an organ, shaped like a flat cake, that only grows during pregnancy and provides a metabolic interchange between you and your fetus. Your fetus takes in oxygen, food, and other substances and eliminates carbon dioxide and other wastes.
Umbilical cord - a rope-like cord connecting your fetus to the placenta. The umbilical cord contains two arteries and a vein, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and waste products away from the fetus.
Uterine wall - the wall of the uterus.
Uterus (also called the womb) - the uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in the lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum, that sheds its lining each month during menstruation and in which a fertilized egg (ovum) becomes implanted and a fetus develops.
Vagina - the part of the female genitals, behind the bladder and in front of the rectum, that forms a canal extending from the uterus to the vulva.