Embryology · Heart and vessels
Embryonic heart structures and their adult derivatives (the table to know) !
- Topic
Each part of the heart tube and fetal circulation has a fixed fate in the adult heart; this table gathers them.
Updated 2026-11-01
See it in 3D: Right atrium · Left atrium · Right ventricle · Left ventricle · Interatrial septum · Interventricular septum · Pulmonary trunk · Ascending aorta · Coronary sinus · Pulmonary veins · Superior vena cava · Ligamentum arteriosum
What it is
The heart tube has five segments, and each ends up as a specific part of the adult heart: smooth or trabeculated, inflow or outflow. To these add the remnants of the fetal circulation, which close at birth and leave ligaments. Knowing this map lets you work out which part fails in each defect.
Key facts
- Smooth parts = venous inflow (sinus venosus, pulmonary vein); trabeculated parts = the original heart tube.
- In the right atrium the crista terminalis separates the smooth part (sinus venosus) from the trabeculated part (primitive atrium).
- Fetal shunts close within hours to days after birth; full fibrosis takes weeks to months.
Embryonic structure and its adult derivative
| Embryonic structure | Adult derivative |
|---|---|
| Truncus arteriosus | Ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk |
| Conus cordis (distal bulbus) | RV infundibulum and LV aortic vestibule |
| Bulbus cordis (proximal) | Trabeculated part of the right ventricle |
| Primitive ventricle | Trabeculated part of the left ventricle |
| Primitive atrium | Trabeculated auricles of both atria |
| Primitive pulmonary vein | Smooth part of the left atrium |
| Right horn of the sinus venosus | Smooth part of the right atrium |
| Left horn of the sinus venosus | Coronary sinus and oblique vein of the left atrium |
| Foramen ovale | Fossa ovalis |
| Ductus arteriosus | Ligamentum arteriosum |
| Ductus venosus | Ligamentum venosum |
| Umbilical vein (left) | Ligamentum teres hepatis (round ligament of the liver) |
| Umbilical arteries (distal) | Medial umbilical ligaments |
| Endocardial cushions | AV septum, mitral and tricuspid leaflets, part of the membranous septum |
Clinical notes
- An atrial septal defect leaves the foramen ovale route open; a patent ductus arteriosus never becomes a ligament.
- A persistent left superior vena cava drains into the coronary sinus, which looks dilated on echocardiography.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which embryonic structure gives the smooth part of the right atrium?
The right horn of the sinus venosus (sinus venarum).
What does the left horn of the sinus venosus become?
The coronary sinus (and the oblique vein of the left atrium).
Which ligament does the ductus venosus leave?
The ligamentum venosum, on the visceral surface of the liver.
Which part of the left ventricle comes from the primitive ventricle?
Its trabeculated part; the aortic vestibule (outflow) comes from the conus.
See it in 3D
The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found.
- Right atrium
- Left atrium
- Right ventricle
- Left ventricle
- Interatrial septum
- Interventricular septum
- Pulmonary trunk
- Ascending aorta
- Coronary sinus
- Pulmonary veins
- Superior vena cava
- Ligamentum arteriosum
Related
- Heart tube: formation and looping
- Atrial septation: septum primum, septum secundum and foramen ovale
- Ventricular septation and the endocardial cushions
- Outflow tract: the spiral aorticopulmonary septum and neural crest
- Venous system: vitelline, umbilical and cardinal veins
- Aortic arch arteries and their derivatives
- Fetal circulation and the changes at birth
Educational content on embryonic development; not a guide to prenatal diagnosis or to medicines in pregnancy and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Langman's Medical Embryology, 13th ed., ch. 13: Cardiovascular System (Wolters Kluwer, 2015); Congenital Heart Disease | Congenital Heart Defects | MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus), 2025).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.