Final answer:
The exchange of nutrients between a mother and fetus occurs through the placenta, which connects the fetus to the mother's uterus. The mother's blood provides glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to the fetus through the capillaries in the placenta.
Step-by-step explanation:
The exchange of nutrients between a mother and fetus occurs through the placenta. The placenta is an organ that develops during pregnancy and connects the fetus to the mother's uterus. It allows for the transfer of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between the mother's blood and the fetus.
Through the placenta, the mother's blood provides glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to the fetus. These substances are transferred through the capillaries in the placenta and into the fetal bloodstream. Some substances, like lipid-soluble substances and water-soluble glucose, move across the placenta by simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion, respectively. However, substances like amino acids and iron, which the fetus has a high demand for, are moved across the placenta by active transport.