What does the placenta consist of?

The placenta is formed when every mother is pregnant. We have all heard that the placenta is very nutritious, but we don’t actually know what the placenta is made of. The placenta is the medium of communication between the fetus and the mother. The role of the placenta is very important, so the nutrients it contains are also very high.

What is the placenta?

The placenta is the bridge of communication between the child and the mother, and is the tool for the two to exchange oxygen, nutrition, and blood. It is attached to the uterus, obtains sufficient oxygen and nutrients from the mother's body, and then transmits them to the child. Therefore, it plays a very critical role for the baby. Once there is an abnormality in the placenta, it will directly hinder the growth of the child and even cause the tragedy of fetal stillbirth.

Placenta structure

The placenta is the golden substance produced by the combination of embryo and maternal tissue, which is mainly composed of the following three components:

1. Chorionic villi

This is the most critical part of the placenta. Most of its structure is the chorion, which develops continuously in levels, from level one to level three. About one month after the mother becomes pregnant, blood vessels begin to form in the villi, and the placental circulatory system appears. The development of the baby in the womb requires the support of many golden substances. The circulatory system can absorb various elements from the blood flowing through the placenta, which reflects its value.

2. Amniotic membrane

This is the innermost layer of the placenta, which is very thin, ranging from 0.02 mm to 0.5 mm. Although it is very thin, it is composed of five thinner membranes, namely fibroblasts, epithelial cell layer, basement membrane, dense layer and fibroblasts.

3. Decidua basalis

At the bottom of this membrane there is a very thin plate, medically known as the decidual plate. Through this thin plate, the pregnant woman's uterine spiral arteries can merge with the baby's blood, and the baby completes the blood exchange with the mother.