Development of the

placenta and its

function
Dr Samar Sarsam
Morula is an embryo at early stage of
embryonic development composed of cells
called blastomeres in a solid ball contained
within the zona pellucida
After reaching the 16 cell stage the cells
differentiate.
• the morula develops and travels to the
uterus around 3 to 4 days after fertilization,
and at about 4 to 5 days after fertilization a
fluid-filled space called the blastocoel
cavity appears and the morula becomes a
blastocyst.
 Blastocyst is a structure formed in early
embryogenesis of mammals, it posses inner
cell mass (embryoblast) form the embryo.
And outer layer of cells called trophoblast it
form the placenta.
Then fluid filled blastocyst cavity called
blastocele or blastocystic cavity.
- The fertilized ovum reaches the uterine cavity at 3-4days after
ovulation and start to divide until it reaches the blastocyst stage.
- The outermost cells of blastocyst form the trophoblast which has the
power to erode the surface epithelium of the decidua sinking to its
thickness between the endometrial glands. The zygote implants to the
stratum compactum of the decidua , the most frequent site upper and
posterior part of uterine cavity .
- Maternal blood vessels are invaded and eroded by trophoblast by its
cytolytic action and extravasation of maternal blood occurs around the
zygote providing the primitive utero-placental circulation within the first
two weeks after conception (day12), so that maternal blood lies in the
intervillous spaces from which embryo takes nutrition.
- Very soon the trophoblast become arranged in projecting masses as villi
which grow and branch.
 The trophoblast become differentiated into two layers (at 7th day post-
fertilization) :

1.     Thicker outer layer: syncytiotrophoblast (nuclei are scattered in a

mass of cytoplasm so that no evident division into separate cells).
2.     Thinner inner layer:cytotrophoblast (single layer of rounded cells ).

The blastocyst is lined with extraembryonic mesoderm which continues

with the mesoderm of the embryo itself , it will continue with the central
tissue of the villi , so each villous has an outer covering of trophoblast
and central mesodermal core.

Lacunae appear in mesoderm and gradually become joined to form

primitive blood vessels extend through extraembryonic mesoderm .
The combined layer of trophoblast and underlying mesoderm is called
the chorion within it is the amniotic membrane that bound the amniotic
cavity.
 According to the relation to embryo , three parts of deciduas are
distinguished :

1.     Decidua basalis : between the embryo and the muscular wall of the
uterus , later forms the site of attachment of the definitive placenta.
2.     Decidua capsularis : intervenes between the embryo and uterine
cavity and bound the superficial half of the implantation cavity. As ovum
grow it bulges into the cavity and by 12 weeks the growing embryo fills
the cavity and it will be found with deciduas vera.
3.     Decidua vera : not related to the site of implantation and line the
rest of uterine cavity.

The trophoblast soon become arranged in trabeculae which are covered

by syncytiotrophoblast and have a core of cytotrophoblast ( primary main
stem chorionic villi ) then embryonic mesoderm extend to each of these
trabeculae and finally vascularization of the mesoderm completes the
formation of the chorionic villi by 16 days after fertilization .
Chorionic villi appear all around the surface of conceptus covering the
entire surface till 8weeks. The villi underneath deciduas capsularis become
compressed as the conceptus grows and then degenerate and become
avascular to produce : chorionic leave.
Primary villi quickly branch extensively to secondary and tertiary villi
and form : chorion frondosum (the part of the chorion covered by villi)

chorion: the outermost of the fetal membranes, composed of trophoblast

lined with mesoderm; it develops villi.
Further invasion into deciduas basalis take place at number of points each
is separated by a wedge-shaped islands of decidua which will become the
placental septa which divide the fetal side of placenta into 15-20
cotyledons , each contain varying number of main stem villi which their
branches referred to fetal lobules.
(Thus the placenta develops from the chorion frondosum and the decidua
basalis)
Intervillous space:

Arise from blood –filled lacunae which develop in the

syncytiotrophoblast by the second week. These later enlarge and
communicate then form the intervillous space into which the new villi
grow.
The space is supplied with blood from 80-100 spiral arteries which have
been invaded by the trophoblast causing fibrinoid necrosis of the
musculo-elastic coat of these vessels , which make their walls thin and
become dilated as they enter the intervillous space , the resulting decrease
in arterial pressure leads to streaming of blood into the intervillous space,
the resistance of the space is so low that the pressure is sufficient to carry
the blood towards the chorionic plate and bathe the villi before leaving via
the veins penetrating deciduas basalis .
• Placental circulation
Placental bed :

Placental bed is covered with deciduas which spiral arteries pierce to

deliver blood to the maternal lake , the ends of the arteries are narrow at
first but from about 6weeks after conception trophoblastic cells invade
their walls , the arterial ends open out like river deltas .
By 16th week , in normal women , this process of invasion is complete and
each of the spiral arteries ends in a funnel-like delta so that the peripheral
resistance to maternal blood is reduced and the flow to placental blood is
increased. If this extension of the trophoblast does not occur , there is a
reduction in placental bed blood flow which may lead to IUGR , pre-
eclampsia or hypoxia in labor
Structure of chorionic villi :

From 3rd week -the end of the 1st trimester , the villi are covered by a single
layer of cytotrophoblast and an outer layer of syncytiotrophoblast
(immediate contact with blood in the intervillous space)
As pregnancy progresses ,villi become more numerous and smaller . The
inner cytotrophoblast layer become attenuated and anuclear and even
disappear, syncytial cells thin out and become irregular.
In the mature placenta many villi have areas where syncytial cells are
attenuated , fetal capillaries can overlie these areas in close approximation
and the surface over these areas show loss of microvilli (suggested areas of
gas transfer).
Main villous stem :the artery and vein have connective tissue walls but in
the terminal villi only capillaries are present . The arteries are branches of
umbilical arteries , they end as capillaries in the terminal villi from where
oxygenated blood is collected into the venous radicals and pass back into
the veins of the main villous stem from which to the umbilical vein of the
cord.
Increase in size of placenta :

From the end of the 4th week no further invasion , further growth in
thickness is now due to growth of chorionic villi with an accompanying
expansion of intervillous sinuses.

Until the end of the 16th week placenta grows both in thickness and
circumference . Subsequently continue to increase in size
circumferentially until near term .
Placenta at term :

Circular in shape , 20cm in diameter , 3cm thickness , 500gm weight

( directly related to fetal weight ) .
It has a fetal surface covered by smooth amnion underneath the chorion
, the blood vessels are visible beneath this as they radiate from the
insertion of the umbilical cord .
The maternal surface is rough and spongy and presents a number of
polygonal areas : cotyledons ( each formed by and corresponds to a main
villous stem and its branching villi ).
Cotyledons 15-20 depending on the number of end arteries into which
the umbilical artery divides. A cotyledon is made of 10-20 lobule each
corresponds to the opening of a maternal utero-placental vessel.
The umbilical cord usually reaches the fetal surface of the placenta at
about the middle of its disc , it brings with it 2 umbilical arteries and one
vein.
The substance of the placenta is made up almost of chorionic villi which
protrudes into intravenous blood spaces .
Functions of the placenta:

1-     It enables the fetus to exchange oxygen and CO2 from maternal
blood , acting as a fetal lungs.
2-     Nutrient function of the placenta completely replaces that of GIT
during fetal life , enabling the fetus to take nutrients from the mother.
3-     Excretion of hydrogen ions and the breakdown products of other
substances is the role of the placenta not the kidney.
4-     Forms a barrier against transfer of infections to the fetus although
some organisms ( Rubella , HIV) can cross it .
5-     It act as an endocrine gland , producing numerous hormones
necessary for maintenance of pregnancy .
6-     It plays a role in the immune system of the fetus by providing it with
immunoglobulins through transferring them from maternal circulation .
7-     Some of the functions of the liver as detoxification of drugs and other
substances presented to it by the maternal circulation.
 
Placental transport:-   
- O2 and CO2 :simple diffusion .
-         Glucose : facilitated diffusion (higher in maternal than fetal blood).
-         Amino acids :actively transported (higher levels in the fetus).
-         Free fatty acids :simple diffusion (lipids).
-         Placenta is relatively impermeable to plasma proteins except IgG .
All proteins transported by pinocytosis ( process of taking in fluid
together with its contents into the cell by forming narrow channels
through its membrane that pinch off into vesicles, and fuse with
lysosomes that hydrolyze or break down contents.
        
• -         Substances with molecular weight less than 1000 are able to
pass the placenta (anesthetic agents and drugs).
-         Water , sodium chloride , magnesium, urea and uric acid are equal
in maternal and fetal blood.
-         Amino acids , nucleic acids , calcium and inorganic phosphorous
have higher concentration in fetal than maternal blood ( selectively
transported ) , serum iron concentration is higher in fetus.
-         Estrogen , androgens and thyroxine cross the placenta but
insulin , parathyroid hormones and posterior pituitary hormones do not.
-         Fetal red cells may sometimes escape into maternal circulation
despite the separation of nucleated RBC in the vessels in the villi from
the maternal RBC in the intervillous space.
Placental hormones:
The placenta secretes large number of hormones , the most important are
steroid hormones
1-     Estrogen : progressively increases during pregnancy (peak before
onset of labor).
Stimulate growth of the myometrium and antagonize the myometrial-
suppressing activity of progesterone
Stimulate mammary gland development.
2-     Progesterone : until the end of the 8th week the corpus luteum
continues to secrete progesterone , with gradual cessation of corpus luteum
function the placenta become responsible for its secretion which reaches
the peak just before labor.
Progestins, including progesterone, have two major roles during
pregnancy:
Support of the endometrium
Suppression of contractility in uterine smooth muscle
Protien hormones
1-     Human chorionic gonadotrophin : detected
in maternal plasma by radioimmunoassay at 6days after
fertilization and in urine soon after that and this forms the
basis of the pregnancy test. It reaches the peak at 10-11weeks
of gestation
2-     Human placental lactogen : its main action
is to reset the CHO and fat metabolism of the mother and
ensure adequate supply of energy and glucose to the fetus.
3-     Relaxin : detected in maternal plasma 8-10 days
after ovulation , its important to inhibit uterine contraction in
early pregnancy .