Chapter9 Flashcards
Midwifery
The practice of trained midwives assisting women through normal pregnancy and childbirth
Oocyte
An immature reproductive egg, or ovum
Menarche
The beginning of menstruation during puberty; a girl’s first period
Follicular Phase
The early period during a woman’s monthly fertility cycle when the pituitary gland secretes follicle-stimulating hormones (FSN) to enhance ovum development
Luteal Phase
The later period of a woman’s monthly fertility cycle, when the lining of the uterus thickens in preparation for receiving a fertilized ovum if conception has occurred
Seminiferous Tubules
Tightly wound microscopic tubes that comprise the testicles in the male, where sperm cells are generated
Zygote
A fertilized ovum (or egg) moving down the fallopian tube
Blastocyst
The developing zygote, with cells surrounding a fluid-filled core, upon entering the uterus and before implanting in the urine wall
Embryo
A blastocyst that has implanted in the uterine wall
Pregnancy
The period of growth of the embryo and fetus in the uterus
Placenta
An organ that develops on the uterine wall during pregnancy and joins the developing embryo to the mother’s biological system, transferring nourishment, oxygen, and waste products between the fetus and the mother
Umbilical Cord
A structure approximately 22 inches in length, consisting of one large vein and two arteries that transport nutrients, oxygen, and fetal waste products back and forth between the fetus and the placenta
Trimester
One of three periods of about three months each that make up the phases of a full-term pregnancy
Embryonic Period
The initial eight weeks of pregnancy following fertilization
Fetus
An embryo after eight weeks of pregnancy
