Introduction Infection is the greatest killer in human history. The microbial theory of disease is probably the greatest advance in medicine, for it has made possible the identification of the cause of many diseases, the development of diagnostic modalities (i.e.,…
Introduction The placenta produces a greater diversity of hormones in greater quantity than any other single endocrine tissue. Near term, steroid hormones (primarily estrogens and progestins) are being made at the rate of 0.5 g/day, and protein hormones (lactogens, growth…
Introduction Transfer of solutes across the placenta is essential for fetal growth and development. Placental transfer occurs in both directions, with maternal nutrients transferred to the fetus and fetal wastes to the mother. A wide range of nutrients and wastes…
Acknowledgments Research on which this chapter is based was supported by National Institutes of Health grant HD-008783-39 and the George L. MacGregor Professorship in Pediatrics. I thank the many co-investigators and students who, while in my laboratories, facilitated many of…
Acknowledgments This chapter is a rewritten and updated form of a chapter appearing in a prior edition of this work, written by Dr. Hans-Georg Frank. Portions of the figures and writing remain Dr. Frank’s words. The authors are indebted to…
Introduction The prenatal diagnosis of a fetal genetic disorder or a chromosome abnormality generally requires invasive testing; all of the invasive tests carry small but recognized risks of miscarriage. Accordingly, an important aspect of prenatal care is screening to identify…
Introduction Embryologically, the cardiovascular system is the first to develop. The vasculature, composed of endothelial cells and their support cells, is critical not only for circulation of blood, but also for the organization, maintenance, and regeneration of multiple organ systems.…
Introduction During embryonic patterning, individual cells divide, migrate, differentiate, and respond to environmental cues. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is effectively involved in all these dynamic processes during development, maintenance, and disease. Cells are continuously connected with the ECM, a latticework…
Introduction Embryogenesis results from the divergent proliferation, migration, survival, and differentiation of cells derived from a single cell, the fertilized egg. Regulatory signals, applied to successive generations of cells, establish the architecture of the early embryo. The same processes are…
Acknowledgments We thank Dr. Stanley Kaplan for his valuable contributions to the previous edition of this chapter. Introduction The human embryo begins as a single large cell, approximately 0.1 mm in diameter, just visible to the unaided eye. During the…