Question

What is a placenta? State its function in the human female.

Answer 1

Placenta refers to the temporary vascular organ which is found in mammals during the pregnancy. It plays an important role in the physiological response of the growing fetus.

Complete answer: Placenta is a disc-shaped organ or a special tissue which nourishes and protects the fetus through the umbilical cord in the uterus of a pregnant mammal. It is an organ of the body which helps in connecting the developing fetus to the uterine wall enabling nutrient absorption, waste eliminations, thermoregulation and gas exchange through the mother’s blood supply. Placenta provides a large surface area to transport glucose and oxygen to the embryo. The Placenta attaches to the uterus wall where the umbilical cord of the baby arises from it. The Placenta can be attached to the lower region of the uterus in exponential cases. Such placenta is called the low-lying placenta. The placenta gives rise to a special umbilical cord which is developed in the 4th week of pregnancy. It establishes a connection between the fetal membrane and the uterine wall. Its main functions in the human female involve the exchange of materials between the mother’s blood and the blood of the fetus and also, it serves as the nutritive, respiratory, and excretory organ of the fetus.

Note: Placenta has two components; the maternal portion i.e. the decidua basalis and the foetal portion i.e. the chorion frondosum. The human placenta develops from the trophectoderm. After the fetus is born, the placenta is expelled from the body.