Chapter 11 - Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth Flashcards
Zygote
A fertilized ovum.
Amniocentisis
A procedure for drawing off and examining fetal cells in the amniotic fluid to determine the presence of various disorders in the fetus.
Down Syndrome
A chromosomal abnormality that leads to mental retardation, caused by an extra chromosome on the twenty-first pair.
Spontaneous Abortion
The sudden, involuntary expulsion of the embryo or fetus from the uterus before it is capable of independent life. Also termed miscarriage.
Zona Pellucida
A gelatinous layer that surrounds an ovum.
Hyaluronidase
An enzyme that briefly things the zona pellucida, enabling one sperm to penetrate.
Infertility
Inability to conceive a child.
Motility
Self-propulsion. A measure of the viability of sperm cells.
Autoimmune Response
The production of antibodies that attack naturally occurring substances that are (incorrectly) recognized as being foreign or harmful.
Endometriosis
An abnormal condition in which endometrial tissue is sloughed off into the abdominal cavity rather than out of the body during menstruation. The condition is characterized by abdominal pain and may cause infertility.
Laparoscopy
A medical proceed in which a long, narrow tube (laparoscope) is inserted through an incision in the navel , permitting the visual inspection of organs in the pelvic cavity.
Rubin Test
A test in which carbon dioxide gas is blown through the cervix and its progress through the reproductive tract is tracked to determine whether of not the fallopian tubes are blocked.
Hysterosalpingogram
A test in which a dye is injected into the reproductive tract and its progress is tracked by x-rays to determine whether or not the fallopian tubes are blocked.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A method of conception in which mature ova are surgically removed from an ovary and placed in a laboratory dish along with a sperm.
Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT)
A method of conception in which sperm and ova are inserted into a fallopian tube to encourage conception.
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT)
A method of conception in which an ovum is fertilized in a laboratory dish and then placed in a fallopian tube.
Donor IVF
A variation of in vitro fertilisation in which the ovum is taken from one woman, fertilized, and then injected into the uterus or fallopian tube of another woman.
Embryonic Transfer
A method of conception in which a woman volunteer is artificially inseminated by the male partner of the intended mother, after which the embryo is removed from the volunteer and inserted within the uterus of the intended mother.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
A method of conception in which a single sperm is injected directly into an ovum.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)
A hormone produced by women shortly after conception, which stimulates the corpus letter to continue to produce progesterone. The presence of HCG in a woman’s uterus indicates that she is pregnant.
Morning Sickness
Symptoms of pregnancy, including nausea, aversion to specific foods, and vomiting.
Miscarriage
A spontaneous abortion.
Germinal Stage
The period of prenatal development before implantation in the uterus.
Period of the Ovum
Germinal stage.
Blastocyst
A stage within the germinal stage of prenatal development, at which the embryo is a sphere of cells surrounding a cavity of fluid.
Embryonic Disk
The platelike inner part of the blastocyst, which differentiates in the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm of the embryo.
Trophoblast
The outer part of the blastocyst, from which the amniotic sac, placenta, and umbilical cord develop.
Embryonic Stage
The state of prenatal development that lasts from implantation through the either week and is characterized by the differentiation of the major organ systems.
Cephalocaudal
From the head downward.
Proximodistal
From the central axis of the body outward.