The placenta is one of the least understood and most understudied organs in the human body.
For centuries, while the anatomy, histology, physiology of other organs were studied in detail, placenta was ignored. With the advent of medical sciences and in conjunction with efforts to practice medicine based on scientific evidence, pathological conditions associated with all other systems were intensely studied. Mostly due to lack of available knowledge about the normal placenta and its development, whether its histology or physiology or developmental pathways at biochemical or molecular level, this organ once again left behind.
There are numerous factors that complicated the efforts of few investigators who dedicated their careers to study this exotic organ. To name a few:
The placenta is a transient structure that begins with the implantation of the embryo and completes its function and discarded after parturition. So it is not available to study in a non-pregnant woman.
It is a very challenging organ whether one studies its anatomy, histology or physiology. It is complex and constantly changes throughout the pregnancy, which makes it more difficult to investigate and generalize.
It proved to be very difficult to create an efficient in situ model of the human placenta to learn the basics of its function and structure. Animal models although helpful they are not ideal. Placentas vary significantly in various species of animals. Primate placentas resemble most to humans thus their use is limited.
Since the human fetus completes most of her/his early development in utero and completely depends on this organ to survive and interact with her/his mother and the environment, it is common sense that there can be no other organ that is more significant than the placenta when one wants to study the effects of early influences during the most crucial period of development.
Although there were several dedicated scientists who contributed significantly to this neglected field, in recent years the number of investigators who “discovered” this organ has increased exponentially. These scientists are using new molecular tools to illuminate the basic tenets of human reproduction and placental function. This growth spurt though is partly due to the blindingly rapid advancement of artificial reproductive technologies (ART) and the demands placed on these laboratories to improve their success rates.
Although multiple texts are available on the pathology of the placenta, they are of similar quality, Furthermore, few sources specifically focus on the normal development, anatomy and histology of this complex organ. Consequently, anybody who is trying to understand and learn about the normal development and structure of placenta is forced to browse large volumes devoted to the pathology of this organ.
The purpose of this website is multiple. In this changing environment of diminishing readership of printed texts and difficulty in keeping them up to date, we are trying to create a database, a collection of information that includes images, case presentations that include clinical-pathological relationships and illustrations collected over a period. We are hoping that these documents that will be useful to scientists and alike to understand complex and find reference data or information to further expand their investigations. We also will be posting essays about current topics and when appropriate post the contents of courses, symposia and lectures about perinatal pathology but mainly human placenta, to fulfill a much-needed uniform resource to everybody who deals with perinatal pathology and especially the human placenta.