Pregnancy Flashcards
Presumptive signs of pregnancy
Assumed signs of pregnancy until more concrete signs develop
Probable signs of pregnancy
More reliable signs of pregnancy
Dextroversion
The uterus moving towards the right during pregnancy.
Lactogenesis
The term used to describe milk making.
Lactogenesis 1
The differentiation of alveolar epithelial cells into lactocytes that secrete colostrum from around 16 weeks gestation.
Lactogenesis 2
Occurs in response to a rise in prolactin hormone and a decrease in pregnancy. It leads to an onset of copious milk secretion which occurs between 32 and 96 hours after birth.
Lactogenesis 3
The long-term maintenance of milk production
Lactocytes
Milk producing cells
Myoepithelial cells
A series of muscle cells in the breast which help to squeeze the milk down the ducts to the openings in the nipple.
Aerola
The pigmented area at the centre of the breast
Lobules (alveoli)
The mammary glands that produce and secretes milk
Ducts
Carry the milk secreted by the lobules through the breast tissue to the opening at the nipple
Prolactin
The hormone responsible for milk production
prenatal
period between fertilisation and birth
Germinal
first 14 days
embryo
2-8 weeks
foetus
8 weeks to birth
neonate
up to 1 month after birth
infant
1 month to 2 years
child
2 years to puberty
adolescent
puberty to 20 years
Fertilisation
Union of a secondary oocyte and a sperm cell resulting in a zygote
Prostoglandins
stimulate the lashing movement of the sperm tail for swimming
Cause muscular contractions of the uterus and uterine tubes to aid sperm movement
corona radiata
layers of cell surrounding the secondary oocyte
zona pellucida
membrane directly surrounding the oocyte
meiosis
cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the parent cell by half and produces four gamete cells
Female pronucleus
when the secondary oocyte completes meiosis II
Zygote
Fertilised egg cell resulting from the union of a male and female gamete
Morula
a solid ball of approximately 16 cells, formed at approximately 3 days post-fertilisation
Blastocyst
The hollow mass that is formed around day 5 when the morula enters the uterus.
Endometrium
The innermost lining of the uterus.
Pluripotent stem cells
Undifferentiated stem cells which can give rise to more stem cells and specialist cells.
inner cell mass
The mass of cells inside the embryo that will eventually give rise to the structures of the foetus.
Embryo proper
Body of the offspring
Trophoblast
the supporting structures of the embryo
mircovilli
Extensions which increase the cell surface area and the efficiency of absorption
Corpus luteum
A transient endocrine structure that produces progesterone.
human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
hormone produced during pregnancy that stimulates the corpus luteum to produce progesterone. This maintains the pregnancy.
Chorion
outermost embryonic membrane
lacunae
irregular spaces that form around and between the villi, filling with maternal blood
connecting stalk
A yolk sac that connects the embryo to the shell of trophoblasts
amnion
the outer membrane around the embryo which attaches around the edge of the inner cell mass
amniotic fluid
prevents compression of the embryo, cushions the embryo from the mothers movements and maintains a stable temperature.
umbilical cord
Connects the umbilicus of the embryo to the placenta. Exchanges blood between the placenta and the embryo
allantois
Formed ~third week, produces blood cells and umbilical blood vessels
yolk sac
Formed ~ second week, produces blood cells, and gives rise to cells that will develop into sex cells.
Gastrulation
Movement of cells in embryonic disc to form multiple layers.
organogenesis
development of organs
embryonic disk
forms the floor of the amniotic cavity
gastrla
a 2 week old embryo
neural tube
develops into the nervous system
teratogens
substances which can cause birth defects
