# Don't people own the parts of their body? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664 "2014-01-01T23:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/21 "2014-01-02T16:15:34Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > The placenta is arguably part of both the maternal and fetal bodies. While it originates from the outer layer of the blastocyst, it ends up being about half fetal blood vessels and half maternal. Cite please. My understanding is that the placenta is just of the fetus, the womb is of the mother, they touch and interchange fetal life support needs, but do not cross. Now I can understand the placenta detachment ‘ripping’ a small expendable part of the womb, but AFAIK the divide remains, placenta = child’s support system, womb = mother’s supply system (to child), and there is no blurry line between them. For the purpose of the OP, the mother (parents) should have the right to decide for the child as the child is unable and under parental care, so it shouldn’t matter for that purpose, the parents should decide. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/22 "2014-01-02T16:46:54Z")
Elope own the parts of their bodies!!! ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/23 "2014-01-02T17:43:40Z")
When you have surgery, you sign consent forms. If you read them closely, you will see that disposal of medical waste is mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/24 "2014-01-02T18:05:50Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > I had a pair of dog balls in a jar on the mantle what I don’t even ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/25 "2014-01-02T19:36:51Z")
> [@James\_Toothpaste](#): > > Elope own the parts of their bodies!!! Auto-correct fail? Or else … wha- 😕 ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/26 "2014-01-02T20:38:45Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > This could change; it may become legal to sell a kidney, and it may already be legal in some countries. It’s legal in Iran - apparently the going price for a kidney is about $20k, and there is zero wait time for a kidney transplant in the Islamic republic. Given how many people die on the transplant list here in America, some have wondered why we don’t start the same system. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/27 "2014-01-02T23:07:42Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Cite please. My understanding is that the placenta is just of the fetus, the womb is of the mother, they touch and interchange fetal life support needs, but do not cross. Now I can understand the placenta detachment ‘ripping’ a small expendable part of the womb, but AFAIK the divide remains, placenta = child’s support system, womb = mother’s supply system (to child), and there is no blurry line between them. > > For the purpose of the OP, the mother (parents) should have the right to decide for the child as the child is unable and under parental care, so it shouldn’t matter for that purpose, the parents should decide. Your understanding is very close to correct. What I believe you’re remembering is that the BLOOD of the fetus and mother never mix (under normal circumstances). The mother’s blood moves in her capillaries, and the fetal blood moves in fetal capillaries. Oxygen and nutrients move into the maternal capillaries from her digestive system, travel to the placenta and cross out of her capillaries through pores, moves across a small interstitial space and then into the fetal capillaries through more pores. Carbon dioxide and cellular waste make a reverse trip. The blood cells themselves stay inside the appropriate capillaries. The blood doesn’t mix. But where all this exchange across capillary walls through capillary pores happens is in the placenta. The capillaries run side by side in two entangled networks. That’s the placenta, along with some connective tissue. I’m on my phone with limited service at the moment, so citing is difficult for me, but if you want to know more about placental anatomy and physiology, Google placental anatomy, and the (as of this writing) sixth hit starts with php.med and has more information than you can shake a stick at. Sorry I can’t pinpoint a particular page or paragraph for you right now. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664/28 "2014-01-03T01:06:23Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Your understanding is very close to correct. What I believe you’re remembering is that the BLOOD of the fetus and mother never mix (under normal circumstances). The mother’s blood moves in her capillaries, and the fetal blood moves in fetal capillaries. Oxygen and nutrients move into the maternal capillaries from her digestive system, travel to the placenta and cross out of her capillaries through pores, moves across a small interstitial space and then into the fetal capillaries through more pores. Carbon dioxide and cellular waste make a reverse trip. The blood cells themselves stay inside the appropriate capillaries. The blood doesn’t mix. But where all this exchange across capillary walls through capillary pores happens is in the placenta. The capillaries run side by side in two entangled networks. That’s the placenta, along with some connective tissue. > > I’m on my phone with limited service at the moment, so citing is difficult for me, but if you want to know more about placental anatomy and physiology, Google placental anatomy, and the (as of this writing) sixth hit starts with php.med and has more information than you can shake a stick at. Sorry I can’t pinpoint a particular page or paragraph for you right now. Looking at it it appears you are correct and there is a fetal and maternal placenta, separate but intermixed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-people-own-the-parts-of-their-body/677664.md?page=1)