2.

2 FROM CONCEPTION TO BIRTH

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

 begins when a sperm successfully fertilizes an egg

 the many changes that turn a fertilized egg into a newborn human
 Takes an average of 38 weeks, which are divided into three periods: the period of the
zygote, the period of the embryo and the period of the fetus

PERIOD OF THE ZYGOTE (WEEKS 1-2)

 For nearly all of history, sexual intercourse was the only way for an egg and sperm to
unite and begin the development that results in a human being.
 Whether by artificial means or natural means, fertilization begins the period of the zygote,
the technical term for the fertilized egg.

*In vitro Fertilization- a process by which sperm and an egg are combined in a Petri
dish to create a zygote and then placed in a woman’s uterus

 During these two weeks, the zygote grows rapidly through cell division

 The next step is implantation, in which the zygote burrows into the uterine wall and
establishes connection with the woman’s blood vessels.
 Implantation takes about a week to complete and triggers hormonal changes that prevent
menstruation, letting the woman know that she has conceived.
 A small cluster of cells near the center of the zygote, germ disc, eventually develop into
the baby.
 The layer of the cells closest to the uterus becomes at the placenta, a structure through
which nutrients and wastes re exchanged between the mother and the developing
organism
 Sheltered in the uterus, the zygote is well prepared for the remaining 36 weeks of the
journey to the birth.

PERIOD OF THE EMBRYO (WEEKS 3-8)

 After the zygote is completely embedded in the uterine wall, it is called embryo.
 During this period, body structures and internal organs develop.
 At the beginning of this period, three layers form in the embryo:

*the outer layer or ectoderm, becomes the hair, the outer layer of skin and the nervous
system

*the middle layer or mesoderm, forms muscles, bones and the circulatory system

*the inner layer or endoderm, forms the digestive system and the lungs
  The embryo rests in sac called the amnion, which is filled with amniotic fluid that
cushions the embryo and maintains a constant temperature
 The embryo is linked to the mother via two-structures, the placenta and the umbilical
cord

*the umbilical cord houses blood vessels that join the embryo to the placenta

 Period of the embryo follows two important principles:

1. CEPHALOCAUDAL PRINCIPLE

-from head to the base of the spine develops before the rest of the body

2. PROXIMODISTAL PRINCIPLE

-arms and legs develop before hands and feet

-growth of parts near the center of the body before those that are distant

PERIOD OF THE FETUS (WEEKS 9-38)

 The final and longest phase of prenatal development. During this period, the baby to
be becomes much larger and its bodily systems begin to work.
 The increase in size is remarkable.
 During the fetal period, the finishing touches are placed on the many systems essential to
human life, such as respiration, digestion and vision
 By the start of the period, the brain has distinct structures and has begun to regulate
body functions
 During this period, all regions of the brain grow-particularly the cerebral cortex, the
wrinkled surface of the brain that regulates many important human behaviors
 By about six months after conception, fetuses differ in their usual heart rates and in how
much their heart rate changes in response to physiological stress.

*Age of viability

-age by which a fetus can survive outside the womb because most of its bodily systems
function adequately; typically at seventh months after conception