Prenatal Development

Question 1

At how many weeks is the germinal stage?

Answer 1

0-2 weeks

Question 2

At how many weeks is the embryonic stage?

Answer 2

3-8 weeks

Question 3

At how many weeks is the fetal stage?

Answer 3

9 weeks - birth

Question 4

What is embryology?

Answer 4

The study of prenatal development.

Question 5

What is epigenesis?

Answer 5

Emergence of new structures and functions during development.

Question 6

What is ontogeny?

Answer 6

The developmental sequences.

Question 7

In the early stages of growth, when vital organs originate, the developmental sequences of all _______ are very ______.

Answer 7

In the early stages of growth, when vital organs originate, the developmental sequences of all VERTEBRATES are very SIMILAR.

Question 8

What is cephalocaudal development?

Answer 8

The principle that areas near the head develop sooner than those further away.

Question 9

What are the two important concepts of prenatal development?

Answer 9

Timing and location/environment

Question 10

What happens in the germinal stage?

Answer 10

Begins with conception and lasts until the zygote becomes implanted in the uterine wall. Rapid cell division takes place.

Question 11

What happens during the embryonic stage?

Answer 11

Following implantation, major development occurs in all the organs and systems of the body. Development takes place through the processes of cell division, cell migration, cell differentiation, and cell death, as well as hormonal influences.

Question 12

What happens during the fetal stage?

Answer 12

Continued development of physical structures and rapid growth of the body. Increasing levels of behavior, sensory experience, and learning.

Question 13

What are the four developmental processes that transform a zygote to embryo to fetus?

Answer 13

Mitosis, cell migration, cell differentiation, and apoptosis

Question 14

What is mitosis?

Answer 14

Cell division resulting in two identical daughter cells.

Question 15

What is cell migration?

Answer 15

Newly formed cells move away from the point of origin.

Question 16

What is cell differention?

Answer 16

Cells start to specialized in structure and function.

Question 17

What is apoptosis?

Answer 17

Genetically programmed cell death.

Question 18

How do cells “know” what to become?

Answer 18

The environment tells cells what to become. On day 5, 3 layers of cells form. Different location causes different cell types to form. Then cells communicate with their neighbors via chemical signals that turn genes on/off.

Question 19

How does the fetal hand plate develop?

Answer 19

The development of the hand, which requires the death of the cells in between the ridges of the hand plate for the fingers to separate.

Question 20

How do we learn about prenatal development?

Answer 20

We often learn how something works when we see how it goes wrong.

Question 21

What are teratogens?

Answer 21

Potentially harmful agents that influence prenatal development. They have a cumulative impacts and potentially have sleeper effects.

Question 22

There are individual differences in genetic ________ of teratogens.

Answer 22

There are individual differences in genetic SUSCEPTIBILITY of teratogens.

Question 23

What is dose-response relation?

Answer 23

Potential problems with teratogens depend on how the mother is exposed to the teratogen and for how long. The more exposure, the more at risk the fetus becomes.

Question 24

What touch occurs prenatally?

Answer 24

Grasping, sucking, rubbing, bumping walls of the uterus

Question 25

What taste occurs prenatally?

Answer 25

swallowing of amniotic fluid, the fetus has a sweet tooth

Question 26

What smell occurs prenatally?

Answer 26

The amniotic fluid has odor of what mom ate. During fetal breathing, amniotic fluid contacts olfactory receptors.

Question 27

What sight occurs prenatally?

Answer 27

There is no light, so sight is negligible.

Question 28

What hearing occurs prenatally?

Answer 28

Occurs from 6 months to gestation. Internally generated sounds (like the mom’s heartbeat, breathing, etc.). Externally generated sounds (like the mom’s voice or people talking to her). The fetus reacts to sounds (changes in heartbeat and movement).

Question 29

How is fetal learning seen in taste?

Answer 29

4 months after birth, infants prefer carrot juice after high exposure in utero, but not tasted it after birth.

Question 30

How is fetal learning seen in smell?

Answer 30

Infants prefer their own amniotic fluid.

Question 31

How is fetal learning seen in hearing?

Answer 31

The fetus recognizes it’s mom’s voice and languages heard in the womb.

Question 32

At what age do fetuses show signs of habituation? How is this measured?

Answer 32

Around 32 weeks; Measured by changes in heartbeat.

Question 33

_______/________ infants have more developmental difficulties in infancy and beyond. Infants have ______ behavior and parents have a lot of stress.

Answer 33

PREMATURE/LOW BIRTH WEIGHT infants have more developmental difficulties in infancy and beyond. Infants have IMMATURE behavior and parents have a lot of stress.

Question 34

What difficulties can premature babies face in childhood?

Answer 34

Particularly in males, behavior and attention problems are likely to arise. They also have difficulties establish typical patterns of interaction.

Question 35

What is kangaroo care?

Answer 35

Skin-to-skin contact between a mother and baby along with exclusive breastfeeding.

Question 36

What are the long-term effects of kangaroo care?

Answer 36

Better functioning physiological processes, mother-child interaction, and cognitive development. Better parental mental health.

Question 37

How long can the effects of kangaroo care been seen?

Answer 37

10 years.