Placenta - Endocrine function
corpus luteum graviditatis - critical role first 6 weeks (ovariectomy at early stage _abortion); secretes estrogens, progesterone, relaxin (inhibits myometrial contractions); function decline after 8th week, however c.l. persists throughout pregnancy
placenta takes over the function after 8th week
produces estrogen, progesterone, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), _-hCG subunits (plasma concentr._with pregnancy), hCS (human chorionic somatomammotropin), relaxin, prolactin, GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) and inhibin (parracrine regulation of hCG secretion )