Category: Research
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How a 16th century Italian anatomist came up with the word ‘placenta’: it reminded him of a cake
This blog was originally published on The Conversation in 2022. Find it here. Ever wondered where the placenta got its name? In Italy in the 1500s, the anatomist Matteo Realdo Colombo coined this term to describe the large fleshy organ of pregnancy. Colombo chose placenta because it resembled another big, round object seen in daily…
Paige Donaghy 