Functions of Placenta

The placenta has metabolic, transportive and protective functions in the human body. As well it produces hormones that play major role in the body. And these functions are as:

•         During early pregnancy, the placenta synthesizes glycogen, cholesterol and fatty acids, which serve as sources of nutrients and energy for the embryo and fetus.

•         Oxygen and food pass from mother’s blood supply into the placenta. From there, the umbilical cord carries the oxygen and food to fetus. Waste products from the fetus, such as carbon dioxide, pass back along the umbilical cord to the placenta and then into mother’s bloodstream, for the fetus to dispose of them.

•         The placenta produces hormones that help the fetus to grow and develop.

•         The placenta also provides some protection against infection for fetus while it’s in the womb. It protects the fetus against most bacteria. However, it does not protect your baby against viruses. For example, if mother is not immune to the rubella virus (German measles), it can cross the placenta and cause miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects such as deafness, brain damage, heart defects and cataracts.

•         Alcohol, nicotine and other drugs can also cross the placenta and can cause damage to fetus and that’s why pregnant women’s are asked to avoid substances which may cause harm, such as caffeine, alcohol, herbal substances and drugs.

•         Towards the end of pregnancy, the placenta passes antibodies from mother to fetus giving them immunity for about three months after birth. However, it only passes on antibodies that she already has.

Types of Placental Hormones:

In addition to its role in transporting molecules between mother and fetus, the placenta is a major endocrine organ. It turns out that the placenta synthesizes a huge and diverse number of hormones and cytokines that have major influences on ovarian, uterine, mammary and fetal physiology.

Steroid Hormones:

Steroid hormones are crucial substances for the proper function of the body. They mediate a wide variety of vital physiological functions ranging from anti-inflammatory agents to regulating events during pregnancy. They are synthesized and secreted into the bloodstream by endocrine glands such as the adrenal cortex, placenta and the gonads (ovary and testis). Steroid hormones secreted by placenta are:

Ø  Progesterone

Ø  Estrogens.

Peptide Hormones:

Peptide hormones are water-soluble hormones comprised of a few amino acids that introduce a series of chemical reactions to change the cell’s metabolism. And the hormones released by placenta which are peptide in nature are:

Ø  Relaxin

Ø  Human chrionic gonadotropin hormone (HCGH)

Ø  Human chrionic lactogen or human chrionic somatomamotrophin (HCS)