Prenatal Development Research Paper

Words: 721
Pages: 3

Assignment 2
Before an embryo becomes a fetus and baby, it goes through a process called prenatal development. This process typically takes about thirty-eight weeks, going through different stages. The three main stages in order are the germinal stage, embryonic stage and fetal stage.
During the germinal stage, which occurs the first two weeks, conception occurs when the egg and sperm contact each other and unite in one of the fallopian tubes about thirty-six hours after conception. The zygote then travels to the uterus, and becomes embedded in the uterus wall which usually takes up until a week to complete. That process is known as implantation and if implantation fails, the woman would have a miscarriage. Then the cells divide in the uterus or known as a blastocyst. It then begins its cell division and growth within a few hours after entering the uterus.
In continuation, the
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It could be prescription medicine, nonprescription medicine, alcohol, infections or even chemicals. It is usually an environmental thing but sometimes can be genetic. The most sensitive periods for teratogens in pregnancy depends on what will be affected because certain organs develop at certain times. Then there are organ systems that are sensitive to tetragons during the pregnancy, for example, the central nervous system. A teratogen that affects the central nervous system is alcohol. Alcohol cause developmental abnormalities such as deformities of the body parts as well as retardation and heart problems. Heroin, opioids, and nicotine lead to a preemie baby, low birth weight and growth restriction. Marijuana exposure and use can lead to infections, rapid breathing of the baby, low birth weight and intracranial bleeding. Methamphetamine can cause low birth weight and miscarriages. Cocaine use during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and developments of the urinary system or