physiology of pregnancy Flashcards
HCG released by trophoblast signals the corpus luteum to continue secreting which hormone?
- progesterone
supply of oxygen to fetus is facilitated by the increased ability of fetal haemoglobin to carry oxygen. The concentration of fetal haemoglobin in a healthy fetus is what % more than the haemoglobin conc of adult blood?
- 50% more
cardiac output in pregnancy increases by?
- 40%
regarding maternal respiratory function in pregnancy does vital capacity increase true or false?
true
regarding maternal resp function in pregnancy is oxygen consumption increased? true or false?
- true
regarding maternal resp function in pregnancy is progesterone predominantly responsible for resp adaptations in pregnancy true or false?
true
regarding maternal resp function in pregnancy is PCO2 reduced? true or false?
true
is von willebrand factor increased in pregnancy true or false?
- true it is increased
what is the typical maternal weight gain in pregnancy?
- 11kg
the third stage of labour is defined as?
- delivery of placenta
prolactin stimulates milk production and is released from which part of the brain?
- anterior pituitary
oxytocin is required for release of milk from breast to suckling infant. it is released from which part of the brain?
- posterior pituitary
the fertilised ovum progressively divides and differentiates into what?
- blastocyst
- moves down from site of fertilisation in upper oviduct to site of implantation in the uterus
at what days does the transport of the blastocyst into the uterus occur?
- 3-5 days
at what days does the blastocyst attach to the lining of the uterus?
- 5-8 days
which part of the blastocyst burrow into the uterine wall and become placenta
- outer cells
- inner cells develop into the embryo
what does the placenta do?
- produces several hormones to maintain pregnancy
cords of what cells - begin to penetrate the endometrium once the free-floating blastocyst adheres to the endometrial lining?
- trophoblastic cells
placenta is derived from what two tissues?
- trophoblast and decidual tissue
trophoblast cells differentiate into what kind of cells?
- multinucleate cells (syncytiotrophoblasts)
what do multinucleate cells do?
- invade decidua and break down capillaries to form cavities filled w maternal blood
developing embyro sends capillaries into the syncytiotrophoblast projections to form what?
- placental villi
villi contains what?
- fetal capillaries separated from maternal blood by a thin layer of tissue - no direct between fetal and maternal blood
how does 2 way exchange occur between mother and foetus?
- largely down diffusion gradient
- resp gases, nutrients and metabolites are exchanged here
at what week in pregnancy is placenta and heart functional?
- 5th week of pregnancy
early nutrition of embryo involves invasion of what cells into the decidua?
- trophoblastic cells
HCG signals the corpus luteum to continue secreting what?
- progesterone
what does progesterone stimulate decidual cells to do?
- to concentrate glycogen, proteins and lipids
as placenta develops it extends what kind of projections (villi) into the uterine wall
- hair-like
how does villi work?
- increases contact area between uterus and placenta allowing more nutrients and waste materials to be exchanged
blood vessels from embryo develop in what?
- in the villi
is the mothers blood and embryo’s blood in direct contact true or false?
- false
- a thin membrane separates the embryos blood in villi from mothers blood in intervillous space
- circulation within the intervillous space acts partly as a AV shunt
the placenta plays the role of the foetals …..?
- lungs
respiratory function of the placenta makes supply of oxygen and removal of what?
- carbon dioxide
is maternal blood considered oxygen rich blood?
- yes
and the umbilical blood (mixing of arterial and venous blood - is considered oxygen poor) - oxygen diffuses from maternal into foetal circulation system
is carbon dioxide elevated in foetal blood true or false?
- true
how does foetal oxygenated blood return to the fetus?
- via umbilical vein
how does maternal, oxygen-poor blood flow back into circulatory system?
- via uterine veins
what 3 factors facilitate the supply of the fetus w oxygen?
- foetal Hb - increased ability to carry O2
- higher Hb conc in foetal blood
- bohr effect - foetal Hb can carry more O2 in low pCO2 than in high pCO2
how does placetal exchange processes occur?
- via classic membranous transport mechanisms
how does water diffuse into placenta?
- along its osmotic gradient
electrolytes follow what substance?
- water
- iron and Ca2+ can only go FROM mother TO child
glucose passes the placenta via what kind of transport?
- simplified transport
- high glucose is required in 3rd trimester
- fetus’ main source of energy
fatty acids diffuse across the placenta how?
- free diffusion
waste products diffusion is based on what?
- concentration gradient
what does HCG do?
- prevents involution of corpus luteum - corpus luteum stimulates progesterone and oestrogen