Question

Which of the following is correct regarding the placenta and umbilical cord?

• A. Placental artery provides nutrients through the umbilical cord to the baby
• B. Placenta has Wharton's jelly
• C. Placenta has 2 veins and 1 artery
• D. Estrogen is secreted by the placenta

Hint:

Think of the gelatinous tissue cushioning the cord vessels - and remember the cord has 2 arteries, 1 vein.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Picture the lifeline between mother and baby. The umbilical cord is a tube of vessels embedded in supportive jelly that bridges the fetus and placenta. Step 2: The packing material around the cord vessels is called Wharton's jelly, a mucoid connective tissue rich in mucopolysaccharides that keeps the vessels from collapsing. This makes option b the right choice. Step 3: Checking the rest: the cord vessel pattern is 2 arteries and 1 vein, so the claim of 2 veins and 1 artery in option c is flipped and wrong. The oxygen and nutrient supply travels to the baby through the umbilical VEIN, not an artery, so option a is wrong. Step 4: Although the placenta secretes estrogen, the intended single best answer here describes the cord-placenta architecture, which is the presence of Wharton's jelly. \[\boxed{\text{Placenta has Wharton's jelly}}\]