Decidua, chorion, placenta,

umbilical cord.

Doc. MUDr. Marie Jirkovsk, CSc.

Institute of Histology and Embryology

Decidua
endometrium in pregnancy- decidua basalis - pars materna placentae
(endometrium)
schema
secretory phase

decidual cells

Chorion

B.M.Carlson: Human Embryology

and Developmental Biology, 1999

Decidua
basalis

Chorionic villi
primary (P)
secondary (S)
tertiary (T)

syncytiotrophoblast
cytotrophoblast

S
P

P
capillary

Hofbauers cells

Chorion
S - syncytiotrophoblast, C - cytotrophoblast, M - mesenchyme,
H - Hofbauer cells

C
S
M

Chorionic villi *proliferation and migration of cytotrophoblast, C

cytotrophoblast shell, V chorionic villus, D - decidua

V
V

*
C

*
D

Relationship of decidua and chorion

Human placenta at term

Discoid (diameter 15 20 cm, thickness 2 3 cm) according shape
Hemochorial villous according structure

Placenta consists of: fetal part (villous chorion) and

maternal part (decidua basalis)

cotyledons

Human placenta at term a scheme

Fetal part: chorionic
plate and cotyledons
consisting of one or
more main stem villi
and their branches.
Maternal part:
decidual plate is
covered by
syncytiotrophoblast,
contains decidual cells
and remnants of the
cytotrophoblastic shell.

Placenta at low magnification

Stem and intermediate villi

Fibrinoid eosinophilic mass on the surface of villi, decidua basalis and

chorionic plate (material composed of fibrin from maternal blood and
degenerated cells).

Placenta
Terminal villi

Placental septum
vasculosyncytial
membrane

syncytiotrophoblast

cytotrophoblast
capillary

decidual cell

3-D reconstruction of the villous capillary bed

Umbilical cord
length cca 50 cm
A a. umbilicalis, V v. umbilicalis, E ectoderm of the amnion, W Whartons jelly

W
A