MBBS I ASSIGNMENT

Student’s Name: Ankit Regmi

Roll number: 67

• Write a short note on

a. Formation of Chorionic Villi: Chorion is skin like covering structure made up by
trophoblast and primary mesoderm. Chorion laevae is smooth and degenerate villi found in
decidua parietalis & capsularis. The growing villi on the embryonic pole of conceptus is chorion
frondosum. The villi of chorion is called chorionic villi. These villi are formed all over trophoblast &
grows in surrounding decidua. The formation of chorionic villi involves 3 stages mentioned below:

1. Primary villus:

• Cytotrophoblast core covered by syncytiotrophoblast.

• Formed on 12th -13th day

2. Secondary villus:

• Extraembryonic mesoderm invades the centre of each primary villus.

• Formed by 16th day.

3. Tertiary villus:

• Fetal blood vessels grow in the mesoderm forming the core of each villus.

• Formed by 21st day.

b. Formation of Placenta: Organ that facilitates nutrient & gas exchange between maternal
& fetal components. Until the beginning of the 8th week, the entire chorionic sac is covered
with villi. After that, as the sac grows, only the part that is associated with Decidua basalis
retain its villi. Villi of Decidua capsularis compressed by the developing sac. Thus, two types of
chorion are formed: – Chorion frondosum (villous chorion) – Chorion laeve – bare (smooth)
chorion – About 18 weeks old, it covers 15-30% of the decidua and weighs about 1/6th of fetus.
The villous chorion (increases in number, enlarge and branch) will form the fetal part of the
placenta. The decidua basalis will form the maternal part of the placenta. The placenta will
grow rapidly.  By the beginning of 4th month, the decidua basalis is almost entirely replaced by
the fetal part of placenta. During 4th & 5th months, decidua form decidual septa which divides
placenta into a no. of compartments or cotyledons. The increase in surface area of placenta is
parallel with expanding uterus. Finally full formed placenta will be formed which is discoid with
diameter of 15 - 25 cm & 3 cm thickness & weight about 500 - 600 g. It is torn from uterine wall
30 min after birth of child. In short, Placenta has 2 components mentioned below formed
respectively.
Fetal part – develops from the chorionic sac (chorion frondosum)

Maternal part – derived from the endometrium (functional layer – decidua basalis) 

c. Function of placenta: The functions of the placenta include:

1. The placenta supply adequate nutrition to fetus.
2. Exchange of metabolic & gaseous products between maternal & fetal bloodstreams
which include exchange of gases as O2, CO2, nutrients & electrolytes as amino acid,
free fatty acid, and carbohydrate.
3. It filters the blood to eliminate the harmful substances but Rh factor, HIV virus, syphilis,
maternal antibody cross the placenta.
4. Drugs crossing placental barrier are Thalidomide, Sodium valporate, Gentamycin,
Amikacin, aspirin, warfarin etc.
5. The placenta serves as pulmonary organs of fetus.
6. The hormone HCG is produced by fetal trophoblast cells.
7. It produces progesterone, estrogen and human placental lactogen (hPL).
8. Somatomammotropin is also secreted by placenta

d. Anomalies of placenta and umbilical cord:

Ans: According to placental shape:

1. Bidiscoidal - consist of two discs

2. Lobed - divided into more than one lobes

3. Diffuse - lobe almost homologous, placenta is thin and does not assume the shape of disc.

4. Placenta succenturiata - small mass of placenta is separated from rest of mass

5. Fenestrated - leaf like, where hole is in disc

6. Circumvallate - circular and round which covers peripheral edge of the placenta The umbilical
cord is normally attached to the placental near the center.

However the attachment may be:

- Marginal, when the cord is at the margin of placenta (this type of placenta is Battledore
placenta)

- Furcated, when blood vessels divide before reaching the placenta.

- When blood vessels are attached to amnion, where they ramify before reaching the placenta,
the condition is referred as velamentous insertion.