Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology and Cognate Medical Sciences · 1976 · 60 citations · 0 references
Life SciencesAnimal SciencesPhysiologyEndocytosisMaternal-fetal MedicineReproductive PhysiologyMaternal-fetal PhysiologyPlacental BiologyPlacental DevelopmentPlacental PhysiologyPregnancyPregnancy PhysiologyEwe Reproductive PhysiologyIron Absorption In PregnancyIron Homeostasis In PregnancyIron Utilization In PregnancyNutrient Transfer Across The PlacentaPigmentationPlacenta AnatomyPlacental Iron Transport
Extravasated maternal blood, which escapes from capillaries and larger blood vessels within the tips of the maternal septa, is responsible for the characteristic pigmentation of the central depression of the ovine cotyledon in the last third of pregnancy. The chorionic epithelium of this region is actively engaged in the uptake and subsequent breakdown of maternal erythrocytes, which may represent an important source of iron for the foetus during the period of maximum intra-uterine growth.