Mother to fetus O2 transfer

Project description

This journal spread illustrates the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying oxygen transfer from mother to fetus, highlighting the interplay between maternal hemoglobin (HbA) and fetal hemoglobin (HbF) within the placental interface. Designed for students of physiology and embryology, the piece visualizes how differences in oxygen affinity, partial pressure gradients, and placental exchange dynamics enable efficient oxygen diffusion across the chorionic villi. The layout integrates molecular detail with systemic context, guiding readers from maternal circulation to fetal uptake in a clear, educational format that bridges biochemistry and developmental physiology.

role

Research, illustration, labelling and layout

tools used

Procreate (illustration)
ChimeraX, Protein Imager, RCSB Protein Data Bank (molecular data)
Adobe Illustrator (labelling and layout)

intended use and audience

Educational journal spread for students studying physiology or embryology.

references

Baumgarten, R., & Schneider, H. (2021). Placental gas exchange and the regulation of fetal oxygen supply. Physiological Reviews, 101(3), 1379–1427. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00027.2020
Burton, G. J., & Fowden, A. L. (2015). The placenta: A multifaceted, transient organ. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 370(1663), 20140066. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0066
Carter, A. M. (2020). Evolution of placental oxygen transport in eutherian mammals. Physiological Reports, 8(12), e14471. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14471
Giussani, D. A. (2016). The fetal brain sparing response to hypoxia: Physiological mechanisms. The Journal of Physiology, 594(5), 1215–1230. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP271099
Mayhew, T. M. (2014). Villous trophoblast: Morphometric perspectives on growth, differentiation, turnover, and deposition of fibrin-type fibrinoid during gestation. Placenta, 35(8), 529–540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2014.05.002
Power, G. G., & Longo, L. D. (2018). Fetal oxygenation and placental gas exchange. In R. Harding, G. D. Thorburn, & M. J. Aitken (Eds.), Textbook of Fetal Physiology (2nd ed., pp. 45–67). Elsevier.
Schneider, H. (2015). Oxygenation of the fetus: Comparative and developmental aspects. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology, 213, 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2015.03.004