So it plays a role in nutrition, in excretion, in immunity, and also acts as an endocrine gland. So it basically allows the movement of our glucose, the amino acids and fatty acids from the mother to our fetus because the fetus needs these nutrients to basically produce that energy to grow and develop. Now as our fetus actually develops and grows, it produces many unwanted wasteful byproducts. And what the placenta allows the fetus to do is basically excrete those wasteful byproducts to the mother that can ultimately excrete those products to the surrounding environment. It also plays a role in immunity and that means it can actually fight off infections. And finally we have this endocrine ability of the placensa to basically produce hormones and release those hormones into the bloodstream.