What is a function of the placenta in a human?

The placenta has several functions in development of the human embryo It is an endocrine organ, i. E an organ which secretes hormones from endocrine glands which are ductless It is involved in the exchange of substances between the maternal and fetal circulation, e.g. Glucose, water, inorganic ions, antibodies, fatty acids, amino acids, etc It acts as a barrier bwtween the fetal and maternal circulation for the following reasons - firstly because the mother may have a different blood type to the fetus (i.e. Rhesus Negative when the baby is Rhesus positive) and this stops her from mounting an immune response against the fetus.

Secondly because the higher blood pressure of the mother would damage the fetal capillaries, which are very fragile if the placenta wasn't there to act as a barrier The blood flow in maternal and fetal capillaries in the placenta is counter-current, in other words they flow in opposite directions, maximising the concentration gradient between them, which is essential for transport of substances by the mechanism of diffusion (e.g. Of waste gases like CO 2 ) and facilitated diffusion (e. G of glucose).

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