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Related Concept Videos

Fetal Circulation01:14

Fetal Circulation

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Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
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Gonadal and Placental Hormones01:24

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The gonads, namely the testes in males and the ovaries in females, are pivotal in producing gonadal hormones that orchestrate the intricate processes of sexual development and reproduction.
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Fertilization01:38

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During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...
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Cleavage and Blastulation01:33

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After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
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Development of Blood Vessels01:07

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The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
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Parental Care00:55

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Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Research Through Single Cell Sequencing and Spatial Histology in Placental Tissues
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Unique Aspects of Human Placentation.

Anthony M Carter1

  • 1Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|August 7, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human placentation shares traits with primates, unlike rodents, due to 80 million years of independent evolution. Key differences include embryonic membrane development and placental hormone expression, impacting offspring development.

Keywords:
decidual reactionfetal membranesplacental hormonesprimatesuterine NK celluterine spiral artery

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Area of Science:

  • Comparative placental biology
  • Primate and mammalian evolution

Background:

  • Human placentation exhibits unique features distinct from most mammals.
  • Shared characteristics with haplorrhine primates include early embryonic membrane development and specific placental hormones.
  • Similarities in intervillous space architecture and trophoblast invasion routes are observed with Old World monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the distinct evolutionary trajectory of human placentation compared to other mammals, particularly rodents.
  • To identify shared and convergent evolutionary features between human and primate placentation.
  • To underscore the implications of these differences for using animal models in research.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of placental structures and functions across different mammalian groups.
  • Review of existing literature on primate and rodent placentation.
  • Evolutionary developmental biology perspective.

Main Results:

  • Human placentation shares significant characteristics with haplorrhine primates, including placental hormones like chorionic gonadotrophin and placental lactogen.
  • Intervillous space architecture and extravillous trophoblast roles in uterine artery transformation show similarities with Old World monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, and gorillas.
  • Apparent resemblances with rodents, such as interstitial implantation and placental lactogens, are attributed to convergent evolution.
  • Rodent models (e.g., mice) exhibit substantial differences, including shorter gestations and altricial offspring development.

Conclusions:

  • Human placentation has evolved independently from rodent placentation for approximately 80 million years.
  • Primate-specific features in human placentation necessitate caution when extrapolating findings from rodent models.
  • Understanding these evolutionary divergences is crucial for accurate interpretation of placental research.