In mammals, what is the primary purpose of the placenta?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In mammals, what is the primary purpose of the placenta?
Nutrient absorption
Gas exchange
Waste removal
All of the above
The placenta facilitates nutrient absorption, gas exchange, and waste removal between the mother and the developing fetus.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: In mammals, what is the primary purpose of the placenta?
Solution: The placenta facilitates nutrient absorption, gas exchange, and waste removal between the mother and the developing fetus.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand that the placenta is an organ that forms during pregnancy in mammals.
Step 2: Know that the placenta connects the mother to the developing fetus.
Step 3: Learn that one of the main jobs of the placenta is to absorb nutrients from the mother's blood and deliver them to the fetus.
Step 4: Recognize that the placenta also helps with gas exchange, allowing oxygen to pass from the mother to the fetus and carbon dioxide to pass from the fetus to the mother.
Step 5: Remember that the placenta removes waste products from the fetus's blood, sending them back to the mother's body for disposal.
