Functions

The placenta acts as a conduit for nutrition from the mother’s body to the foetus, ensuring that the foetus gets the resources it needs to survive. It also serves as a barrier, shielding the fetus from a number of maternal infections. The placenta carries out the following tasks:

1. Gas exchange is possible, ensuring that the foetus gets enough oxygen.
2. It aids the foetus is getting enough nutrition.
3. The placenta helps control the foetus’ bodily temperature.
4. It takes waste away from the foetus through the mother’s body for processing.
5. Some potentially infectious bacteria are filtered away by the placenta.
6. The mother’s antibodies are passed from her to the foetus through the placenta, offering some immune defence.
7. It generates hormones that keep the mother’s body prepared for conception.
8. The placenta effectively performs the functions of several organ systems for the foetus because it is unable to breathe, eat, or evacuate waste while within the womb.

Purpose of the Placenta 

The placenta’s functions include:

• Nutrition: The placenta is responsible for transferring nutrients from the mother’s blood to the fetal blood.
• Storage: Before the liver matures, the placenta stores nutrients such as fat, glycogen, and other substances for the fetus.
• Human chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, and estrogen are among the hormones secreted by the placenta, which also function as an endocrine gland (HCG).
• Protein digestion: Proteins are broken down by the trophoblast of the placenta before entering the fetal bloodstream.
• Excretion: The placenta transfers nitrogenous wastes like urea into the mother’s blood, where the kidneys of the mother filter them out.
• Respiration: The placenta moves carbon dioxide from the fetal blood to the maternal blood as well as oxygen from the maternal blood to the foetal blood.
• Barrier: The placenta serves as an effective defensive wall and barrier, allowing beneficial aerials to reach the blood. Drugs that are addictive like heroin and toxic substances like nicotine from cigarettes can cross the placenta. Therefore, pregnant women should refrain from using drugs and smoking. The placenta can permit the passage of germs and viruses.

FAQs on Placenta

Question 1: What is placenta?

Answer:

A mammalian organ that grows during pregnancy is the placenta. The placenta supplies the developing foetus in the mother’s uterus with oxygen and nutrients.

Question 2: What does placental filtering mean?

Answer:

Transferring nutrients, oxygen, and other beneficial substances from the mother to the foetus is made easier by the placenta. Some bacteria and poisons can be eliminated by it, but not all of them. Pregnant women are recommended to stay away from toxins and disease-causing substances because of this.

Question 3: What purpose does the placental anatomy serve?

Answer:

The placenta divides the mother’s and foetus’ blood supplies to prevent the mother’s immune system from attacking foetal blood cells. However, it does permit the exchange of some molecules, including gases, antibodies, and nutrients.

Question 4: What is the placenta made of?

Answer:

The placenta starts to develop when a fertilised egg known as a blastocyst implants in the mother’s endometrium. The blastocyst’s outer layer is what eventually develops into the placenta. The overlaying syncytiotrophoblast and the underlying cytotrophoblast are the two layers that follow this one. In the latter, a multinucleated cell layer covers the placenta. The differentiation and fusion of cytotrophoblast cells lead to its development. The syncytiotrophoblast performs the primary function of the placenta, which is to serve as a barrier. Pregnancy causes the placenta to enlarge. By the conclusion of the first trimester, the placenta has received all the cells it needs from the mother’s blood.

Question 5: What is the structure of the placenta?

Answer:

The placenta is a bodily organ that creates a solid connection between the mother and the foetus.

1. From the surface of the chorion, many finger-like projections called chorionic villi develop into uterine tissue.
2. The placenta is formed when these villi puncture the mother’s uterine wall.
3. Materials can be transported because of the umbilical cord’s connection between the placenta and the foetus.
4. The uterus and placenta are typically connected at the top, bottom, side, front, or back.
5. The foetal membrane is joined to the inner uterine wall by a connective tissue called the placenta.
6. The placenta is therefore both maternal and embryonic.
7. The placenta assists the developing embryo in absorbing oxygen and nutrients from the mother while also removing carbon dioxide and nitrogenous waste.

Question 6: What percentage of the placenta does the embryo contribute?

Answer:

The membrane known as the chorion surrounds the developing foetus. The chorion is the placenta’s component that the embryo contributes.

During pregnancy, one or more offspring develop (gestate) in the womb of the pregnant woman. Multiple pregnancies result in multiple births, including twins. Although getting pregnant through sexual activity is most usual, there are additional procedures using assisted reproductive technologies. Pregnancies can end in one of four ways: live birth, spontaneous miscarriage (also known as abortion), artificial abortion (sometimes known as induced miscarriage), or stillbirth. The gestational age is the amount of time following the beginning of the last menstrual period (LMP) when childbirth typically takes place.