What is a Placenta?
A placenta is the vital tissue that allows a fetus to take nutrients from the body of their mother. How exactly does this work? The placenta actually sends tissue into the mother’s blood vessels and transports them to the fetus itself. This is called “placenta invasion.” While different genetics from the father will influence how effectively the placenta enters and transfers the blood vessels from the mother to the fetus, and the mother’s genetics will influence how effectively the placenta is able to obtain these nutrients from the blood vessels, a healthy mother and child will establish a balance in which the placenta obtains enough nutrients for a healthy growing fetus, without taking so much that the mother suffers. Typically, this is the case.
What Happens When The Placenta Does Not Act Effectively?
A number of things may happen when the placenta does not act effectively. Though they are uncommon, there are a number of conditions involving the placenta which may negatively effect the fetus, mother, or both. Obviously, we do not need to discuss that any negative physical effect the fetus endures will undoubtedly negatively effect the mother emotionally. Luckily, there are treatments for some of the conditions resulting in an ineffective placenta, but some may be detrimental to the fetus.
When the Father’s Genetics Effect the Placenta
It is the father’s genetics which cause placenta invasion. However, in some cases, the father’s genetics do not allow the placenta to effectively obtain nutrients from the mother. This occurs when the father’s genetics controlling placenta invasion are too weak and the mother’s genetics stopping placenta invasion are healthy, or when the mother’s genetics are just too powerful. Because a healthy women has genetics that have evolved to demonstrate some resistance to placenta invasion so that the placenta will not take so many nutrients that the mother is deprived, when the father’s genetics do not cause the placenta to invade effectively, the mother’s genetically caused resistence to placenta invasion will combat all placenta invasion entirely. Ultimately, this means the fetus will not obtain nutrients from their mother and will die.
When the Mother’s Mutated Genes Effect the Placenta
The opposite happens when the mother’s genetics have mutated in a way in which the placenta’s balance is thrown off. If a women has genetics that have mutated to not resist some of the placenta invasion, the placenta may take too many nutrients from the mother. This can cause diabetics for the mother while she carries her fetus, or even the cancer choriocarcinoma. While diabetics during pregnancy may be difficult to handle, the disease will end after the placenta ceases to take nutrients from the mother. Therefore, the mother may recover after the baby is born. However, choriocarcinoma may cause ovarian cysts, bleeding, uneven swelling and pain, and could cause the fetus to stop growing and terminate the pregnancy. Luckily, choriocarcinoma is also treatable and, in this instance, fetus termination is also preventable.
What Happens to the Placenta After Childbirth?
After childbirth, there is no fetus requiring a placenta present in the mother’s body. Therefore, the mother gives a second birth, or the placenta birth, in which the placenta exists her body in the same way her infant exits. At this point, the placenta and infant will still be connected through the umbilical cord, but this will soon be cut, finally terminating all connection between the placenta and living creatures. What happens to the placenta after this? In many situations in the modern world, the placenta is tossed away as medical waste. However, remember that the placenta is the fetus’ way of obtaining nutrients from the mother. The placenta, therefore, has a high number of nutrients even after it is no longer needed by the fetus. A large number of individuals cook and eat the placenta, sometimes even turning it into a lasagna!
WORKS CITED
Sapolsky, Robert M. “Monekyluv: and Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals”. New York; Scribner, 2005. Print.