Which organ provides oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood to the baby and removes waste from the baby's blood?

• A. Pancreas
• B. Adrenal Cortex
• C. Placenta
• D. Testes

Answer: (C)

The placenta serves as the interface between mother and fetus, enabling the essential exchange of substances. Oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood diffuse across the placental barrier into the fetal blood, while waste products from the fetus diffuse in the opposite direction to be removed by the mother’s circulation. The mother and baby’s blood don’t mix directly; exchange occurs across the placental tissue connected by the umbilical circulation. This is why the placenta is the organ responsible for providing oxygen and nutrients to the baby and removing waste. The other organs listed—pancreas, adrenal cortex, and testes—have different roles (digestion and blood sugar regulation, hormone production, and reproductive functions) and do not mediate this maternal–fetal exchange.