Why read Life's Vital Link?

Book cover of Life's Vital Link: The astonishing role of the placenta

Book description

The development of the placenta was a pivotal event in evolution. Without it, we would still be laying eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring. It represents the critical link between the foetus and the mother, but its character is extraordinary -- it is, in effect, a foreign tissue…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Life's Vital Link as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Deena Emera

Author

There is no organ that I am more fascinated by as a biologist than the placenta, which is the topic of the captivating book Life’s Vital Link.

The placenta is made by the developing fetus, but it evolved to interact intimately with tissues in the mother and to secrete hormones that influence maternal physiology during pregnancy. Loke inspires wonder and curiosity in this book about an organ that is often ignored but truly remarkable and may even hold clues as to how cancer evolved and how we can fight it better.

From Deena's list on capturing the magnificence of female biology.