The haemophagous region of the badger (Meles meles L.) placenta is involved in iron transfer, and maternal erythrocytes are the only source of iron for the fetus. This ultrastructural study provides morphological evidence of placental ferritin iron storage intervening if haem-iron uptake exceeds fetal needs. Such placental ferritin is assumed to play an active role in iron transfer regulation. In this paper we demonstrate that this regulatory process of iron transfer by storage in placental ferritin occurs on at least two levels: the cytotrophoblast and the fetal endothelium. The latter could then act as a final monitor in the transfer of iron into the fetal circulation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.