MATERNAL NUTRITION; IMPACT ON PLACENTA FUNCTION Flashcards
DOES PLACENTA START DEVELOPING BEFORE OR AFTER IMPLANTATION?
SHORTLY AFTER
PLACENTA DEVELOPS WHEN THE EMBRYO IS AT WHICH STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT?
BLASTOCYST
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE PLACENTA?
- RESPIRATION
- EXCRETION
- NUTRITION
- IMMUNITY
+ IT IS AN ENDOCRINE ORGAN
BASIC PLACENTA STRUCTURE:
FETAL SIDE; CHORIONIC PLATE
INTERVILLOUS SPACE; EXCHANGE OF OXYGEN AND NUTRIENTS
MATERNAL SIDE; BASAL PLATE
SPIRAL ARTERY REMODELLING?
Begins in the first few weeks of pregnancy and modifies the arteries from low-flow, high-resistance to high-flow, low-resistance vessels capable of meeting the demands of the developing fetus
WHAT IS THE SYNCYTIOTROPHOBLAST?
THE MOST IMPORTANT CELL TYPE IN THE PLACENTA
FORMS AN EPITHELIAL LAYER ON THE SURFACE OF CHORIONIC VILLI
PRODUCES HORMONES, MEDIATES NUTRIENT TRANSFER AND FORMS A PHYSICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL BARRIER BETWEEN THE FETAL AND MOTHER’S CIRCULATION
WHICH MEMBRANE OF THE SYNCYTIOTROPHOBLAST FACES THE MOTHER BLOOD AND WHICH THE FETUS’ BLOOD?
MOTHERS: APICAL MEMBRANE
FETUS’: BASAL MEMBRANE
PLACENTA’S TRANSPORT MECHANISMS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF WHICH PART OF THE GI TRACT?
SMALL INTESTINE
WHICH SUBSTRATE IS THE MAIN ENERGY SOURCE OF THE FETUS AND PLACENTA?
GLUCOSE
IS FAT AN ENERGY SOURCE FOR FETUS?
NO
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SIGNALLING MOLECULES IN THE PLACENTA FOR NUTRIENT SENSING?
mTOR
WHICH TRANSPORT MECHANISM IS USED FOR GLUCOSE TO CROSS THE PLACENTA?
FACILITATED DIFFUSION
WHICH MOLECULES CAN CROSS THE PLACENTA VIA PASSIVE DIFFUSION?
CO2, O2, H2O, ALCOHOL, STEROIDS, ELECTROLYTES, FREE FATTY ACIDS, FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS..
WHICH MOLECULES CROSS THE PLACENTA VIA ACTIVE TRANSPORT?
AMINO ACIDS, WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS, CALCIUM, IRON, IODINE…
PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND LIPOROTEINS CROSS THE PLACENTA VIA WHICH MECHANISM?
ENDOCYTOSIS