10

HUMAN Module
EMBRYOLOGY Fetal membranes and placenta
Embryogenesis
10.2 Development of the placental villi
Anatomy of the placenta
Module 10 The three villus types
CHAPTERS Introduction
AIMS The cytotrophoblast layer
SUMMARY
Connections between maternal and fetal tissues
Placental tissue structure
◀ PAGES ▶ Development of the placenta
The decidua
Development of the villi
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EMBRYOGENESIS
ORGANOGENESIS
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FR
DE
 HUMAN
EMBRYOLOGY
Embryogenesis The three villus types
Introduction
While the embryo is nourished in the first weeks through simple diffusion, later, due to its rapid
growth, it needs a more powerful gas and nutrient exchange system. This is made possible by the
Module 10 development of the utero-placental circulation system in which the circulation systems of the
CHAPTERS mother and of the embryo get closer together, thus allowing an exchange of gases and metabolites
AIMS via diffusion.
SUMMARY
It must be always kept in mind, though, that maternal and fetal blood never come into direct
contact with each other.
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This system decays after the ninth day in the lacunar stage (stage 5b).
Through the lytic activity of the syncytiotrophoblast (Fig. 18 and 19) the maternal capillaries are
HOME eroded and anastomose with the trophoblast lacunae, forming the sinusoids. At the end of the
EMBRYOGENESIS
pregnancy the lacunae communicate with each other and form a single, connected system that is
delimited by the syncytiotrophoblast and is termed the intervillous space.
ORGANOGENESIS Fig. 18 - 9th-10th day - Lacunar stage Fig. 19 - 9th-10th day – Primary villus Legend
SEARCH Fig. 18
Lacunar stage:
HELP Spaces form in the trophobla
Fig. 19
FR Primary villus:
Subsequently, due to the eros
DE the maternal capillaries, bloo
into the vacuoles, engenderin
maternal sinusoids.

1 Cytotrophoblast 5 Maternal vessel, eroded by the

2 Syncytiotrophoblast ST, which form the maternal
3 Spaces between sinusoids through
syncytiotrophoblast (Lacunae) communication with the lacunae
4 Maternal vessel A See enlarged version in figure 20

Between the 11th and 13th day cytotrophoblast cells penetrate into the cords of the
syncytiotrophoblast creating the primary trophoblast villi (stage 5b).
Fig. 20 - 11th-13th day Fig. 20b - 11th-13th day Legend
Primary villus with the
cytotrophoblast, which penet
into the processes of the
syncytiotrophoblast, forming
primary trophoblast villi.

1 Cytotrophoblast
2 Syncytiotrophoblast

After the 16th day the extra-embryonic mesoblast also grows into this primary trophoblast villus,
which is now called a secondary villus (stage 5c) and expands into the lacunae that are filled with
maternal blood. As was already mentioned, the ST forms the outermost layer of every villus.
Fig. 21 - 16th day Fig. 21b - 16th day Legend
Secondary villi with extra-em
mesoblast in the center, surro
by cytotrophoblast and
syncytiotrophoblast.

1 Extra-embryonic mesoblast
2 Cytotrophoblast
3 Syncytiotrophoblast
 HUMAN At the end of the 3rd week the villus mesoblast differentiates into connective tissue and blood
EMBRYOLOGY vessels. They connect up with the embryonic blood vessels. Villi that contain differentiated blood
Embryogenesis vessels are called tertiary villi (stage 6).
Fig. 22 - 21rst day Fig. 22b - 21rst day Legend
Tertiary villi with extra-embr
mesoblast (EEM) in the cente
additional embryonic blood v
Module 10 The EEM remains in this stag
CHAPTERS surrounded by cytotrophobla
outer envelope of the villus is
AIMS formed by the ST.
SUMMARY
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1 Extra-embryonic mesoblast
EMBRYOGENESIS 2 Cytotrophoblast
ORGANOGENESIS 3 Syncytiotrophoblast
4 Fetal capillaries
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HELP From this time on gases, nutrients, and waste products that diffuse through the maternal and Reminder
fetal blood must pass through a total of four layers: Histological comparison betw
young placenta and one at th
FR Capillary endothelium of the villus of pregnancy
DE Loose connective tissue that surrounds the endothelium
Cytotrophoblast
Syncytiotrophoblast
These four elements together form the placental barrier.
Note! The endothelium that surrounds the maternal blood vessels never penetrates into the
trophoblast lacunae, but comes just to their boundaries.
Numerous "daughter" villi arise out of the tertiary villi. These remain either free and project into
the intervillous space (free villi), or they anchor themselves to the basal plate (anchoring villi).
(Interactive diagram)
After the 4th month the cytotrophoblast in the tertiary villi disappear slowly, the villi divide further
and become very thin, whereby the distance between the intervillous space with maternal blood
and the fetal vessels gets smaller. The villi that arise in this way are called free villi.
Fig. 23 - After the end of the 4th Fig. 23b - Placenta at term Legend
month Free villi with extra-embryon
mesoblast (EEM) and fetal bl
vessels in the center.

1 Extra-embryonic mesoblast
2 Remains of cytotrophoblast
3 Syncytiotrophoblast
4 Fetal capillaries