Anatomy of a Lifeline: teacher key

Belly Buttons, grade 11 edition, written for 11th grade. The umbilical cord is built like a two-way road with its own shock absorber. Follow its design, how the body retires it and the scar it leaves behind.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What does the foramen ovale do before birth?
   • It cushions the cord
   • It lets blood skip the lungs (answer)
   • It cleans the placenta
2. Which statement about the umbilical vein after birth is true?
   • It becomes part of the lungs
   • It disappears completely
   • It becomes the round ligament of the liver (answer)
3. What happens to the ductus arteriosus after birth?
   • Its muscle tightens for good and it becomes a fibrous string (answer)
   • It grows wider
   • It fills with jelly
4. What is said about the quick cut that doctors began using after the 1960s?
   • Its value was never shown (answer)
   • It was proven to protect babies
   • It was required by law
5. What does the word granuloma mean in the text?
   • A kind of bacteria
   • A bag around the baby
   • A lump of extra scar tissue (answer)

Words

• granuloma: extra scar lump
• amnion: baby's water bag
• fibrous: stringy
• jaundice: yellow tint
• cicatrix: dense scar