Chorionic Villus Sampling
What is Chorionic Villus Sampling?
Chorionic villi are small branching structures on one side of the placenta. They anchor the placenta to the wall of the uterus, almost like the roots of a plant. They have another root-like function, which is to absorb nutrients from the mother's blood in the lining of her uterus, and to deliver these to the umbilical cord. These structures contain cells from the developing fetus. A test that removes a sample of these cells through a needle is called chorionic villus sampling (CVS).
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