Morphometry of the Placental Exchange Area [Paperback]

A. Introduction.- B. Materials and Methods.- 1. Materials.- 1.1. Development Stages.- 1.2. Full Term Placentas.- 2. Contributors.- 2.1. Development Stages.- 2.2. Full Term Placentas.- 3. Nomenclature.- 4. Measurement Methods.- 4.1. Macroscopic Data.- 4.2. Histological Preparation Procedure.- 4.3. Microscopic Data.- 4.4. Calculation of the Parameters.- 5. Evaluation.- 5.1. Graphical Presentation.- 5.2. Choice of Smoothing Curves.- 5.3. Calculation of the Smoothing Curves.- 5.4. Biological Interpretation of the Regression Parameters.- 5.5. Assessment of the Significance of Differences.- C. Findings.- 1. Growth of the Total Villous Surface Area.- 2. Transformed Values of Areas and Volumes.- 2.1. Square Root of the Total Villous Surface Area.- 2.2. Cube Root of the Total Volume.- 3. Variation of the Area/ Volume Ratio with Time.- 3.1. Linear Coordinates.- 3.2. Transformed Values.- 3.3. Logarithmic Coordinates.- Slope of the Straight Smoothing Lines.- Size of the Total Villous Surface Area.- 4. Relative Villous Surface Area.- 5. Volume of the Compact Parts of the Placenta.- 6. Surface Density.- 7. Macroscopic Chorionic Surface Area.- 8. Surface Enlargement Factor.- 9. Area/Volume Ratios in Full Term Placentas.- 9.1. Compact Placentas.- 9.2. Diffuse Placentas.- 9.3. Compact Versus Diffuse Placentas.- D. Discussion.- 1. Smoothing Curves and Function Equations.- 1.1. Growth of the Total Villous Surface Area.- 1.2. Growth of the Total Volume.- 1.3. Area/Volume Ratio during Development.- 1.4. Relative Villous Surface Area.- 1.5. Area/Volume Ratios in Full Term Placentas.- 2. Compact Parts of the Placenta and Surface Density.- 3. Macroscopic Chorionic Surface Area and Surface Enlargement Factor.- 4. Model of the Growth of the Total Villous Surface Area and of the Total Volume.- 5. Physiological Implications of the Area/Volume Ratio.- 5.1. Development Stages.- 5.2. Full Term Placentas.- 6. Differences in the Size of the Villous Surface Area in Compact and in Diffuse Placentas.-lãÊ