The first few weeks of an embryo's development are vital. Now, new techniques are allowing scientists to learn more about this crucial time than ever before.
Dou you know?
So during pregnancy, in addition to growing a very large belly bump, mom-to-be also grows a whole new organ. This organ is called the placenta and it grows inside the uterus. The placenta plays a crucial role during pregnancy and let’s face it, things wouldn’t get done without it.
Basically, the placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to your baby during pregnancy. It also removes any waste and nasty stuff from the baby’s bloodstream. The placenta literally attaches itself to the wall of the uterus and the umbilical cord stems from it. All of this starts happening 3 weeks into pregnancy. So yeah, just 3 weeks after conception, a bunch of cells are clustering together and growing and you’re creating a new organ. Pregnancy sure is an amazing thing! Oh, and the placenta is super cool and all, but don’t feel any pressure to eat it after giving birth. Leave that to other mammals whose instincts dominate over their ‘gross receptors’.
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