The umbilical cord is a set of blood vessels that connect the fetus with the placenta. In the fetus, one extremity of the cord inserts into the center of the abdominal wall (the later scar of this insertion is the umbilicus).
The function of the umbilical cord is to allow the transport of substances, nutrients, gases, and residuals, between the fetus and the mother’s body.
The placenta has endocrine function since it secretes the hormones progesterone and estrogens that maintain the endometrium (internal covering of the uterus) and prevent menses during pregnancy. The placenta also secretes other important hormones for pregnancy regulation.
Under normal conditions, there is no passage of cells across the placenta during gestation. The placenta has a smooth mucosa separating the richly vascularized region in contact with the mother’s endometrium from the umbilical cord in contact with the fetal blood. This barrier is known as placental barrier. Although permeable to some substances (selective permeability), the placental barrier forbids the passage of cells.
Image Diversity: umbilical cord placental barrier
From the mother to the fetus the main transferred substances through the placenta are water, oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies. From the fetus to the mother, metabolic wastes including urea (nitrogen waste), and carbon dioxide are transferred.
True placenta is present in placental mammals.
The placenta is formed from the chorion of the embryo and from the mother’s endometrium. Its main function is to allow the exchange of substances between the fetus and the mother’s body.
Image Diversity: placenta placental mammals
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