Pines City Colleges

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY

E3. FORMATION OF THE PLACENTA

LECTURER: RUTH RAMOS TAGUILING, MD,FPOGS *At 5th to 6th days, blastocyst reaches the
FOFGRGFFPOGS
endometrial cavity and undergoes implantation
TOPIC:
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
PLACENTA

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLACENTA

Begins in the implantation

Placenta grows throughout
pregnancy
Development of the maternal blood
supply of the placenta is complete
by the end of first trim of
pregnancy (12-13 weeks)

FORMATION OF THE PLACENTA

1. Implantation
Normal site of implantation: outer
compact zone of endometrium and
in the upper 2/3 of the uterine
body.
Size of blastocyst:
o 0.1-0.2 mm in diameter.
o Endometrial mucosa is 5
mm thick (into which it is
Day 5/6 hatching implanted).
o Embryo hatches form the Ectopic (abnormal site of
zona pellucida implantation of the blastocyst)
Ampulla of the fallopian
Day 6/7 apposition tube (most common)
o Blastocyst reaches the
endometrial epithelium 2. Trophoblast differentiates
Differentiates into:
Day 7/8 adhesion a. Outer multinucleated
o Adhesion of the trophoblast Syncytiotrophoblast:
to the endometrial epithelial Erodes the maternal tissues
cells by sending out projections
o At the embryonic pole of the b. Inner mononucleated
cytotrophoblast -> produces cytotrophoblast:
non-mitotic Actively proliferates
syncytiotrophiblast continuously

Day 8/9 invasion 3. A. Lacunar stage

o Syncytiotrophoblast form 9th day- Lacuna or spaces
junctional complexes with within the
endometrial epithelium syncytiotrophoblast forms
stroma and basal lamina Syncytiotrophoblast erodes
the maternal tissues

1 | Page Jennah, Elee

 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3. FORMATION OF THE PLACENTA
Allows maternal blood from
the uterine spiral arteries to
enter lacunar network
o Early uterine
circulation is
established by the
end of the 2nd week Syncytium
of post conception
EEM

EEM-extra embryonic mesoderm

Diagram:

Primary chorionic villi - cellular

structure that form fingerlike projection
penetrating syncytium
Secondary chorionic villi EEM
penetrates the stem villi in the direction of
decidual plate
Tertiary chorionic villi (with blood
vessel) in many small villi, its wall is in
direct contact with syncytium

3. C. Cytotrophoblastic Shell
syncytiotrophoblast o Cytotrophoblast cells from the
tertiary villi grow towards the
cytotrophoblast decidua basalis of the maternal
uterus and spread across it to form
3. B. Villi formation
cytotrophoblastic shell
Cytotrophoblast forms primary
o Anchoring villi: villi that is
chorionic villi (fingerlike
connected to the decidual
projections that expand and
basalis via cytotrophoblastic
penetrate the surrounding
shell (resembles the tip of
syncytiotrophoblast
the tree)
o Branching villi: growing
3rd week: extra embryonic
outward within intervillous
mesoderm grows into villi forming
spaces from the anchoring
a core of loose connective tissue
villi
and this structure is called
Provides surface
secondary chorionic villi
area for the
exchange of
end of 3rd week: embryonic vessel
metabolites from the
begins to form in the embryonic
mother and fetus
mesoderm of the secondary
chorionic villi and this structure will *radial appearance of the villi is
then become the tertiary on the 2nd month of gestation
chorionic villi *basta pag nagkaroon
na siya ng blood vessels, tertiary CV na siya

2 | Page Jennah, Elee

 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3. FORMATION OF THE PLACENTA
Spiral artery: coiled terminal vessels of
the uterine artery
o Carries maternal blood

*as spiral arteries come in contact

with the cytotrophoblastic shell:
Extravillous trophoblast will proliferate
From anchoring villi and invade the
decidualize endometrium by 2
pathways:

o 1st: Interstitial extravillous

trophoblast invade the
decidualized endometrium and
inner myometrium

o 2nd: Endovascular extravillous

trophoblast cells invade the
lumen of spiral arteries.

o Result: Endothelium vascular

smooth muscle and elastic lamina
are destroyed and replaced by
Cytotrophoblastic shell fibrinoid

3. D. Extraembryonic Vascular System

o Surface of the villi is formed by o This transforms the muscular
spiral arteries into distended thin-
the syncytium resting on a layer
walled flaccid vessels -> this
of cytotrophoblastic cell that
covers vascular mesoderm. process is termed Spiral artery
o Capillaries developing on the remodeling
villous of this system soon comes
in contact with the capillaries of
the:
chorionic plate
connection stalk
o this will give rise to
extraembryonic vascular system

To

thereby

Spiral artery

To enhance placental parturition and

promote fetal development

3 | Page Jennah, Elee

 Pines City Colleges
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 2025 EMBRYOLOGY
E3. FORMATION OF THE PLACENTA

Defective spiral artery

o causes pregnancy disorders
Pre-eclampsia:
associated with fetal
growth restriction
Why? -> if the vessels remain with high pressure
and high resistance with reduced blood flow, it
impedes or limits placental parturition and
subsequent fetal blood supply leading to fetal
growth restriction.

(for example nagkabuhol yung artery, hindi

makakapasok ng maayos yung dugo papunta sa fetus
kaya makukulangan ng nutrient supply, so magiging
maliit yung baby kasi deficient sa blood supply)

Normal Spiral artery: with low pressure

and high blood flow normal pregnancy

Abnormal Spiral artery: high pressure

reduced blood flow- pregnancy with
growth restriction

Added lecture on the function of the Placenta

4 | Page Jennah, Elee