The placenta is a structure formed by both fetal and maternal tissues. Placenta in placental mammals such as human serves as a site where nutrients and waste are exchanged between fetus and mother in the uterus during the embryonic development.
The placenta is connected to the embryo by the umbilical cord. The nutrients and oxygen are diffused from maternal blood vessels into the intervillous space and finally to the capillaries of the fetus.
