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Pathology of the Human Placenta pp 27–39Cite as

Placental Types

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Abstract

All viviparous vertebrates develop a system of extraembryonic membranes that surround the fetus. The apposition or fusion of these fetal membranes with the uterine mucosa, for purposes of maternal-fetal physiological exchange, initiates the formation of the placenta. The fetus is connected to the membranes by the umbilical cord. The maternal-fetal contact zone, provided by the membranes and the endometrium, represents the placenta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Prestwick Drive, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Kurt Benirschke M.D.

  2. Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK

    Graham J. Burton M.D., D.Sc.

  3. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Rebecca N. Baergen M.D.

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  1. Kurt Benirschke M.D.
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  2. Graham J. Burton M.D., D.Sc.
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Correspondence to Kurt Benirschke M.D. .

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Benirschke, K., Burton, G.J., Baergen, R.N. (2012). Placental Types. In: Pathology of the Human Placenta. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23941-0_4

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