Question

What is Placenta? Describe different functions of placenta in brief.

Hint:

Group the placenta's roles into exchange, structural support, and hormone production.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
During pregnancy, the developing embryo needs a permanent, direct connection to the mother's blood supply so it can get food and oxygen and get rid of waste, since it cannot feed or breathe on its own yet.

Step 2: Define the placenta.
The placenta is a special structure that forms this connection: it is made of chorionic villi (finger-like projections from the embryo side) that interdigitate with uterine tissue on the mother's side, in close contact with maternal blood.

Step 3: List its functions.
It acts as an exchange site, allowing oxygen and nutrients to pass from maternal blood into fetal blood, and carbon dioxide and excretory (waste) products to pass in the opposite direction.
It behaves as a structural anchor, physically attaching the growing fetus to the uterine wall throughout pregnancy.
It functions as an endocrine gland, producing several hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), human placental lactogen (hPL), estrogens, and progestogens, which are needed to maintain the pregnancy.

Final Answer:
The placenta is the fetus-mother connecting structure; it exchanges nutrients, gases, and wastes, anchors the fetus, and secretes hormones that sustain pregnancy.