adjective / noun
placental
pluh-SEN-tl/pləˈsentl/
Relating to the organ connecting a developing fetus to the uterus.
The placental villi form an interface that nourishes the developing fetus.
Etymology
Latin placenta meant a flat cake; the organ was called a “uterine cake” because of its shape. The adjective means relating to that organ, which nourishes the fetus.
In context
in which the complete embryo development happens inside the mother in mammals while inside the mother the embryo is nourished by an organ called an placenta so both marsupial and placental mammal groups give birth to live young ones
More examples
- Doctors monitor placental function during a high-risk pregnancy.
- A whale is a placental, just like a human.
- Most living mammals are placentals, including dogs and elephants.
Forms
placental · placentals
placenta noun — Organ linking a fetus to the uterus.