Placenta

The placenta is a highly vascular, flattened organ attached to the inside wall of the uterus of a pregnant mammal. It delivers nutrients and oxygen to the fetus via the umbilical cord, while, also, removing waste products from the fetus' blood. It is delivered within minutes after the infant is born, thus giving it the common name, "afterbirth."

In addition to nourishing the fetus, it helps maintain the pregnancy by secreting progesterone and high levels of estrogen. It also contains high concentrations of diamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down histamine.

Use in medicine

In a randomized, double blind, controlled trial, injections of subcutaneous human placental extract were found to improve symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.