Placenta Flashcards
Placenta
Vascular organ in mammals that unites the extramebryonic membranes of the fetus to the maternal uterus for metabolic exchanges
When does the yolk sac start?
Starts when hypoblast delaminates and lines the bastocoel
What are the 4 membranes of the placenta?
Yolk sac, amnion, chorion, allantois
What are the functions of the placenta?
Protection
Nutritive
Excretory
Endocrine
Yolk sac
Endodermal lined cavity of gastrula
Continuous with embryonic gut
Transitory structure
Splanchnic mesoderm in relation to the yolk sac
It becomes vascular
At the first site of blood formation, it’s vessels connect yolk sac with embryo and form vitelline vessels
Yolk sac endoderm is source of ____________
Primordial germ cells
Trophoblast + somatic mesoderm =
Chorion
Hypoblast + splanchnic mesoderm =
Yolk sac
When do chorion and yolk sac separate?
As extraembryonic coelom forms
Amnion
Formed by folding of somatopleure (folds unite dorsally)
Avascular (no splanchnic mesoderm)
Function of amnion
Protective cushion that covers embryo and is fluid filled
Let’s embryo “float” and have limited movement
Chorion
Layer of somatopleure that surrounds extraembryonic membrane
Trophoblast and somantic mesoderm
Initially Avascular
Syncytiotrophoblast
When the trophoblast cells lose their cytoplasmic boundaries
Cytotrophoblast
When the trophoblast cells retain their cell boundaries
Allantois
Formed as evagination from hind gut
Made of endoderm and splashnic mesoderm
Expands into extraembryonic coelom
How is the allantois in domestic animals?
Becomes very large, fills and obliterates extraembryonic coelom
May fused with chorion
How do allantois vessels arise?
Splanchnic mesoderm of allantois and somatic mesoderm of chorion fuse and form the vessels
Umbilical vessels
Same as allantois vessels
Formed in the splanchnic mesoderm
When does amnion and chorion become vascularized?
Not until they fuse with allantois to form the alantochorione or alantoamnion placenta
Implantation
Attachment of the developing embryo to the wall of uterus and the formation of placenta
Until the placenta becomes functional, where does the embryo obtains nutrients?
Via diffusion from uterine milk
What are the different types of implantation?
Superficial: embryo in uterine lumen (domestic)
Interstitial: embryo embeds into uterine wall (primates)
Placenta
_______ and _________ blood never mix
Maternal and fetal
Cat implantation
Gestation pd: 63 days
Implantation begins: 11-12 days
Implantation completed: 16-17 days
Cattle implantation
Gestation pd: 227-290
Implantation begins: 28-32
Implantation completed: 40-45