Prenatal development
When a woman becomes pregnant, a tiny cell called a fertilized egg starts to grow inside her womb. This is the start of what we call prenatal development. The baby that develops inside the mother's womb goes through three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.
During the first stage, the germinal stage, the fertilized egg starts dividing over and over again. It forms a cluster of cells that will eventually become an embryo. This process takes about two weeks, and during this time the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus where it implants itself in the lining.
The embryonic stage begins once the fertilized egg has implanted itself in the uterus. At this stage, the body plan of the baby begins to take shape. The embryo grows rapidly, and different organs and body parts begin to form. By the end of this stage, which lasts from the third week until the end of the eighth week, the embryo has grown to about the size of a grape, and all major organs and body systems have formed.
The fetal stage begins at the end of the embryonic stage, around the ninth week of pregnancy, and lasts until birth. During this time, the baby, now called a fetus, continues to grow and develop. Its organs and body systems become more complex, and it starts to move and respond to stimuli from its environment. By the end of this stage, the fetus has grown to about 20 inches long and weighs around 7 pounds.
Throughout prenatal development, the baby gets all its nutrition and oxygen from its mother through the placenta. The placenta is a special organ that attaches to the lining of the uterus and allows nutrients and oxygen to pass from the mother's bloodstream to the baby's bloodstream.
Overall, prenatal development is the process of a tiny fertilized egg growing into a fully formed baby inside the mother's womb. It takes about nine months for this to happen, and during this time the baby goes through three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.
During the first stage, the germinal stage, the fertilized egg starts dividing over and over again. It forms a cluster of cells that will eventually become an embryo. This process takes about two weeks, and during this time the fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and into the uterus where it implants itself in the lining.
The embryonic stage begins once the fertilized egg has implanted itself in the uterus. At this stage, the body plan of the baby begins to take shape. The embryo grows rapidly, and different organs and body parts begin to form. By the end of this stage, which lasts from the third week until the end of the eighth week, the embryo has grown to about the size of a grape, and all major organs and body systems have formed.
The fetal stage begins at the end of the embryonic stage, around the ninth week of pregnancy, and lasts until birth. During this time, the baby, now called a fetus, continues to grow and develop. Its organs and body systems become more complex, and it starts to move and respond to stimuli from its environment. By the end of this stage, the fetus has grown to about 20 inches long and weighs around 7 pounds.
Throughout prenatal development, the baby gets all its nutrition and oxygen from its mother through the placenta. The placenta is a special organ that attaches to the lining of the uterus and allows nutrients and oxygen to pass from the mother's bloodstream to the baby's bloodstream.
Overall, prenatal development is the process of a tiny fertilized egg growing into a fully formed baby inside the mother's womb. It takes about nine months for this to happen, and during this time the baby goes through three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.
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