Difference Between Umbilical Cord and Placenta
For women, having a baby is the most beautiful feeling that could happen in their lives. The statistical data and studies, 255 babies are born in every minute. It’s really a wonder how life can develop from the fusion of two cells of human body. During the time when the baby is in the womb of his / her mother, one could probably ask the question: ‘how does the baby survive in there? ”
There are really two things that are mainly responsible for ensuring the survival of a baby inside the womb of a mother. They are Placenta and the Umbilical cord.
Placenta is of the size of a fist and connects the fetus with the walls of the uterus so as to let the flow of food, nutrients, disposal of gas and elimination of wastes occur with the help of the blood supply of the mother. In case of the mammals, umbilical cord’s function is to connect the fetus with the mother’s placenta.
Placenta performs the function of absorbing nutrients as well as oxygen from the maternal blood and itself is a mere flesh which is spongy in nature. These nutrients and oxygen then transferred to the child through the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord, the other, which is sometimes considered the ‘cord of life’, is a thick set of veins etc. that supplies nutrient and other essential to the fetus.
During labor, the placenta is released from the uterus during delivery process and this is then separated from the body of the mother by pulling at the umbilical cord. One can say that it is where the food comes to the baby. When a child takes birth, the umbilical cord is seen attached with the belly button and must be removed. The umbilical cord connects the placenta and the baby.
Your navel or belly button is the remains of your umbilical cord that was cut shortly after you were born. Only the stump like chord is left one the placenta and the cord is cut and disposed of. This stump shrinks by itself in a few days after birth and leaves just the belly button as a reminder of the umbilical cord.
Life is indeed a beautiful thing and who would have imagined that these two things, which are simply composed of very small cells, can bring and support a new life.
Summary:
1. The placenta is the place where the food for the baby is present, while the umbilical cord serves as a link between the baby and placenta.
2. The placenta is removed after delivery of the baby, while a portion of the umbilical cord stump is exists on the baby that soon withers away too.