The term placenta was first introduced in a 1638 anatomy textbook and was derived from the New Latin phrase placenta uterina, which translates to “uterine cake”. This name was chosen as the organ’s circular, flat shape was likened to a traditional Roman flat cake. The term placenta itself can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word plakoenta, the accusative form of plakoeis, meaning “flat”. This originates from the earlier Greek word plax, which can be translated to “cake”, “tablet”, “plain”, or any flat, broad object. Going back even further, the Proto-Hellenic word resembling pluks can be linked to the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction pleh, also signifying “flat” and serving as the root of words like flag, plank, fluke, and more. In the realm of biology, the term placenta refers to the part of flowering plants where ovules develop, stemming from its anatomical definition.
