Blood Circulation in

Mature Placenta
Section Through Placenta
1. Amnion
2. Chorion
3. Chorionic Villi
4. Intervillous space
5. Decidual (basal) plate
6. Myometrium
Fetal Circulation
Umbilical cord :
- Umbilical Vessel
( 2 Umbilical artery - Bring deoxygenated blood, Fecal Waste, CO2)
( 1 Umbilical Vein – Bring oxygenated Blood, Nutrient)
- Wharton`s jelly
(Gelatinous substance – protect
& Insulate Blood Vessel )
- Cord Blood
(contains stem cells)
Fetal Circulation
- Chorionic vessel (Chorionic
Plate)
- Truncal Arteries – Cappilary
Network – Chorionic Vein
- Truncal Arteries supply one
main stem villus & one
cotyledon
Placental Permeability & Membrane Diffusion
- Diffusion O2 through placental membrane
- Diffusion CO2 through placental membrane
- Diffusion foodstuff through placental membrane
(In late stage pregnancy, fetus often use glucose as is
used by the mother)
- Excretion of waste product
(Include non protein nitrogens, such as urea, uric acid,
and creatinine)
Chorionic Villi Layer
- Maternal Blood Space
- Syncytiotrophoblast
- Cytotrophoblast
- Mesoderm Layer
Maternal Circulation
- Uterine artery  Spiral artery  Intervillous space
(where exchange of oxygen and CO2 between
mother and fetus occur through placental barrier)
- The venous blood will collect in the marginal vein 
Uterine vein.
Maternal Circulation
- Maternal blood enters through the basal plate and is driven high up
toward the chorionic plate by arterial pressure
- Maternal blood drains back through venous orifices in the basal
plate and enters uterine veins
- Principal factors regulating intervillous space blood flow are
arterial blood pressure,
intrauterine pressure,
uterine contraction pattern
 Maternal Surface
- Cotyledons – about 15-20 slightly bulging villus area.
This area covered by decidua basalis from uterine wall.
- After birth, placenta is always carefully inspected for
missing cotyledons.
- Cotyledone remaining attached to the uterine wall
after birth may cause severe bleeding
- Groove – formerly occupied by placental septa