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Stereological Studies on Transient Gas Exchangers with Emphasis on the Structure and Function of the Human Placenta in Normal and Compromised Pregnancies

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The Vertebrate Blood-Gas Barrier in Health and Disease

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Abstract

The avian egg and mammalian placenta are transient structures which are discarded after hatching or parturition but, during their lifespan, must adapt to the changing needs of the growing embryo/fetus. The embryo/fetus exerts demands on its environment whether it be the impersonal one in which an egg is laid or the nurturing one within the body of the mother. In the case of the avian egg, nutrients are obtained internally but respiratory oxygen (O2) must be obtained from the environment. In eutherian mammals, nutrients and O2 are obtained from the mother via the placenta. The capacity of the egg and placenta to transfer O2 to the embryo/fetus is expressed as a diffusive conductance (DO2 in the units cm3O2 min−1 kPa−1). For these and other gas exchangers, a morphometric estimate of DO2 can be obtained by combining stereological estimates of relevant microstructural quantities (vascular volumes, exchange surface areas and harmonic mean diffusion distances) with physiological data (O2–haemoglobin reaction rates and Krogh’s permeability coefficients). Here, the avian egg and human placenta are taken as models for gas exchangers, and their structures and functional capacities are compared. Particular focus is accorded to the human haemochorial placenta and its ability to serve the growing needs of the fetus is illustrated using results from normal and compromised pregnancies.

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Acknowledgements

Over the past three decades, I have been grateful for research awards from various funding agencies and for collaborations with, and contributions from, many colleagues and students who have shared an interest in the placenta.

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  1. School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

    Terry M. Mayhew

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  1. Terry M. Mayhew
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Correspondence to Terry M. Mayhew .

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  1. Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

    Andrew N. Makanya

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Mayhew, T. (2015). Stereological Studies on Transient Gas Exchangers with Emphasis on the Structure and Function of the Human Placenta in Normal and Compromised Pregnancies. In: Makanya, A. (eds) The Vertebrate Blood-Gas Barrier in Health and Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18392-3_10

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