Question

Describe in brief the structure and function of placenta.

Answer 1

The embryo gets nutrition from the mother’s blood with the help of a special tissue called placenta. It is a disc which is embedded in the uterine wall.

The placenta contains villi on the embryo’s side of the tissue. On the mother’s side are blood spaces, which surround the villi. It has the following functions:

This provides a large surface area for glucose and oxygen to pass from the mother to the embryo.

The developing embryo will also generate waste substances which can be removed by transferring them into the mother’s blood through the placenta.

The development of the child inside the mother’s body takes approximately nine months.