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Placental Vascularity: A Story of Survival

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Managing the Prenatal Environment to Enhance Livestock Productivity

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Abstract

In this review, I have been asked to provide insight into the structure and related function of the chorioallantoic placentae of different livestock species, with emphasis on their role in mediating conceptus growth and survival. As there have been many excellent books and reviews written on comparative placentation, I have decided to focus this paper on a comparison of two livestock species with which I have a long research history, namely the pig and the sheep, but will present comparisons with other species where appropriate and warranted. Further, I will stress the importance of placental vascularity and blood flow in dictating normal growth, development and survival of the fetus. Throughout my research career, I have conducted studies aimed at gaining a better understanding of conceptus-uterine interactions, in an attempt to understand how intrauterine and extrauterine events impact the conceptus. Significant data have accumulated suggesting that negative impacts on the fetus, occurring during critical periods of gestation, result in developmental adaptations that can permanently change the growth, physiology and metabolism of offspring [3, 28, 41, 49].

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  1. Center for the Study of Fetal Programming and Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Stephen P. Ford

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  1. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Trevenna Road, Armidale, 2351, Australia

    Paul L. Greenwood

  2. Livestock Industries, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, CSIRO, Carmody Rd. 306, St. Lucia, 4067, Australia

    Alan W. Bell

  3. Fac. Natural & Agricultural Sciences, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009, Australia

    Philip E. Vercoe

  4. Agency (IAEA), Division of Nuclear Techniques in, International Atomic Energy, Wagramer Str. 5, Wien, 1400, Austria

    Gerrit J. Viljoen

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Ford, S.P. (2009). Placental Vascularity: A Story of Survival. In: Greenwood, P., Bell, A., Vercoe, P., Viljoen, G. (eds) Managing the Prenatal Environment to Enhance Livestock Productivity. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3135-8_8

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