The Marvellous Short –Lived Organ: The Placenta

Manal Elsawaf, E.

Professor of Human Anatomy & Embryology, Faculty of medicine, Tanta University, Egypt

Dr. Manal Elsawaf, E., Professor of Human Anatomy & Embryology, Faculty of medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.

Keywords: Blastocyst; Endometrium; Implantation; Placenta; Placental Barrier; Placental Variants

Abstract

Placenta is a transient organ that grows, differentiates and matures during a short life span. It starts to develop during implantation of the conceptus and is expelled shortly after labor. The placenta has nutritive, excretory, respiratory and immune functions, as well as hormonal production. The differences in placental structure between different mammals modulate the transfer of substances through placental barrier. Multiple placental variants have been encountered in medical practice. These variants may affect normal growth and/ or normal delivery of the baby. Correlation of basic knowledge about placental development, structure, comparative anatomy and function together with clinical findings is crucial for proper management in pregnancy and in medical research.

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