Placentation

The Veterinary Microscopic Anatomy Review series is a 21-volume set of interactive iBooks to allow a Q&A type review of microscopic anatomy structure and function. The histological sections are taken from multiple domestic species, including the canine, feline, bovine and equine.

In this unit of the series, the placenta is considered, which is a complex structure that results from the union of the fetal membranes and the maternal endometrium and is only seen in mammals that bear live young. We will look at the structures of the placenta and the four classification of placentation, using the porcine, equine, bovine and canine placentas as our examples. Gross images of the bovine, ovine, equine and canine placentas are also observed.