Everybody's Got One
14Digest
This podcast delves into the often-overlooked biological "battle" between a mother's body and the developing placenta. It begins by introducing the placenta's development and vital role in nourishing the fetus. The narrative then shifts to the placenta's aggressive strategies for nutrient acquisition, emphasizing its "digging claws" and the potential for conflict. This conflict is explored in detail, focusing on the placenta's use of protein Pp13 to manipulate the mother's immune system and the resulting risks, particularly preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition. The podcast also examines the remarkable lack of scarring after placental detachment during birth and concludes by exploring diverse cultural perspectives on the placenta, contrasting the common practice of discarding it with the reverence shown in many indigenous traditions.
Outlines
The Placenta: Development and Maternal-Fetal Conflict
This chapter introduces the placenta's development and its crucial role in fetal nourishment, setting the stage for exploring the often-overlooked conflict between the mother's body and the developing placenta, highlighting the aggressive nutrient acquisition strategies employed by the placenta.
Placental Nutrient Acquisition and Preeclampsia
This section details the placenta's aggressive nutrient acquisition, its use of Pp13 to manipulate the mother's immune system, and the resulting risks, particularly preeclampsia. It explores the delicate balance between the placenta's needs and the mother's well-being.
Birth, Cultural Perspectives, and the Placenta's Legacy
This chapter covers the birth process, the placenta's detachment, the lack of resulting scarring, and the diverse cultural perspectives on the placenta, contrasting common practices with the reverence shown in many indigenous cultures.
Keywords
Placenta
The organ connecting the developing fetus to the uterine wall, providing nutrients and oxygen while removing waste. Crucial for successful pregnancy.
Preeclampsia
A serious pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and potential organ damage, often linked to placental dysfunction.
Maternal-Fetal Conflict
The biological competition between the mother's body and the fetus/placenta for resources, a crucial aspect of pregnancy that can lead to complications.
Pp13 (Placental Protein 13)
A protein produced by the placenta to divert the mother's immune system, allowing access to maternal blood.
Immunological Tolerance
The process by which the mother's immune system avoids rejecting the genetically different fetus; the placenta plays a key role.
Placental Development
The formation and growth of the placenta from the earliest stages of pregnancy.
Indigenous Placenta Practices
Cultural traditions and rituals surrounding the placenta, often involving reverence and burial.
Q&A
What is the primary function of the placenta?
The placenta nourishes the fetus by providing oxygen and nutrients, removing waste, and protecting it from the mother's immune system.
What is preeclampsia, and what causes it?
Preeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure and potential organ damage, often linked to the placenta's aggressive nutrient acquisition.
How do different cultures view the placenta?
While many discard it, some indigenous cultures revere the placenta, often burying it as a sign of respect and connection to the land.
What is the "war" metaphor used in the podcast referring to?
The competitive relationship between the mother's body and the developing placenta, where the placenta aggressively seeks nutrients, potentially leading to complications.
How does the placenta avoid rejection by the mother's immune system?
The placenta uses strategies like creating a barrier and producing proteins that modulate the mother's immune response. The process is complex and not fully understood.
Show Notes
We all think we know the story of pregnancy. Sperm meets egg, followed by nine months of nurturing, nesting, and quiet incubation. this story isn’t the nursery rhyme we think it is. In a way, it’s a struggle, almost like a tiny war. And right on the front lines of that battle is another major player on the stage of pregnancy that not a single person on the planet would be here without. An entirely new organ: the placenta.
In this episode, which we originally released in 2021, we take you on a journey through the 270-day life of this weird, squishy, gelatinous orb, and discover that it is so much more than an organ. It’s a foreign invader. A piece of meat. A friend and parent. And it’s perhaps the most essential piece in the survival of our kind.
Special thanks to Diana Bianchi, Julia Katz, Sam Behjati, Celia Bardwell-Jones, Mathilde Cohen, Hannah Ingraham, Pip Lipkin, and Molly Fassler.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Heather Radke and Becca Bressler
with help from - Molly Webster
Produced by - Becca Bressler
with help from - Pat Walters, Maria Paz Gutierrez
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Articles:
Check out Harvey’s latest paper published with Julia Katz.
Sam Behjati's latest paper on the placenta as a "genetic dumping ground".
Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.
Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Table of contents
United States
