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OBSERVATIONS ON THE OXYGEN SUPPLY TO THE FETAL LLAMA
Author(s) -
Meschia Giacomo,
Barron Donald H.,
Prystowsky Harry,
Hellegers André,
Huckabee William,
Metcalfe James
Publication year - 1960
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology and cognate medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0033-5541
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1960.sp001473
Subject(s) - transplacental , oxygen , fetus , placenta , oxygen saturation , dissociation (chemistry) , oxygen pressure , chemistry , andrology , anatomy , biology , medicine , pregnancy , genetics , organic chemistry
The oxygen dissociation curves of the maternal and fetal bloods of the llama show a high saturation at low oxygen pressures. At 38° C. and p H 7·4 the maternal blood is half saturated with an oxygen pressure of 21·9 mm. Hg, the fetal at 18·0. The data about the adult animal confirm the previous results of Hall, Dill and Guzman Barron. The estimated transplacental difference in oxygen pressures of the two bloods in vivo was about 15 mm. Hg. As the llama has a six‐layered epithelio‐chorial placenta, the hypothesis that the thicker placental types are necessarily associated with steep transplacental gradients in oxygen pressure appears to be without foundation.