What is the function of placental?

Functions of the Placenta

* Nutrient exchange: The placenta allows for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between the mother and the fetus. Nutrients from the mother's blood diffuse across the placenta and into the fetal bloodstream, while waste products from the fetus diffuse in the opposite direction.

* Gas exchange: The placenta also allows for the exchange of gases between the mother and the fetus. Oxygen from the mother's blood diffuses across the placenta and into the fetal bloodstream, while carbon dioxide from the fetus diffuses in the opposite direction.

* Hormone production: The placenta produces a variety of hormones that are essential for maintaining pregnancy. These hormones include human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which helps to maintain the corpus luteum (a small gland on the ovary that produces progesterone) and estrogen, which helps to thicken the uterine lining and prepare it for childbirth.

* Immune protection: The placenta helps to protect the fetus from the mother's immune system. This is important because the fetus is genetically different from the mother, and her immune system could potentially attack it. The placenta produces a number of factors that help to suppress the mother's immune response and prevent rejection of the fetus.

* Physical protection: The placenta also provides physical protection for the fetus. It acts as a barrier between the fetus and the outside world, and it helps to cushion the fetus from bumps and jolts.