We should begin with talking about how the placenta works and some of its roles to the mother and fetus.  The placenta is often referred to as a filter; this isn’t an ideal term for the placenta considering its function in the body. As consumers we use filters in daily life to remove unwanted particles and toxins then throwing them into the trash once they have reached capacity.  The placenta does not function as a filter in this sense, a more suitable way of viewing it would be as a gatekeeper between the mother and fetus.  The placenta’s job is to keep the maternal and fetal blood separate, at the same time allowing nutrients to pass to the fetus, gas exchange to occur, and allowing waste from the fetus to pass through to the mother.  The placenta does prevent some toxins from passing through to the fetus but they are not stored in the placenta.  Toxins in the body and waste from the fetus are processed by the mother’s liver and kidneys for elimination. 

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