afterbirth

afterbirth

the placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus after the birth of the offspring

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

afterbirth

[′af·tər‚bərth]

(embryology)

The placenta and fetal membranes expelled from the uterus following birth of offspring in viviparous mammals.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Afterbirth

 

in humans and other placental mammals, the placenta and fetal membranes (the amnion and chorion) expelled from the uterus after the delivery of an infant. The afterbirth also includes the umbilical cord. The afterbirth usually is expelled completely after the infant is delivered. If it does not emerge completely, the parts remaining in the uterus must be removed manually.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.