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Stages of Prenatal Development

The document outlines the four main stages of prenatal development: conception, germinal, embryonic, and fetal. It describes key events that occur during each stage, including fertilization during conception, implantation and formation of the three germ layers in the germinal stage, organ development and growth patterns in the embryonic stage, and bone development and viability outside the womb in the fetal stage.

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120 views15 pages

Stages of Prenatal Development

The document outlines the four main stages of prenatal development: conception, germinal, embryonic, and fetal. It describes key events that occur during each stage, including fertilization during conception, implantation and formation of the three germ layers in the germinal stage, organ development and growth patterns in the embryonic stage, and bone development and viability outside the womb in the fetal stage.

Uploaded by

soraru
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Stages of

Prenatal
Development
 
Stages of Prenatal Development
Conception

Germinal

Embryonic

Fetal
Conception

 Conception occurs when a sperm cell penetrates and


fertilizes an egg cell
 Successful conception depends on
 ovaries releasing one healthy egg cell
 egg cell migrates most of the way down the fallopian tube
 One sperm must penetrate the ovum to form a zygote
Infertility

 About 15 percent of couples are unable to conceive or carry


a pregnancy to term after one year of unprotected
intercourse.
 Causes of male infertility involve the quantity or strength of
sperm produced.
Infertility

 Causes of female
infertility involve
structural abnormalities in
the Fallopian tubes or
uterus or a failure to
ovulate and release
mature eggs.
 New technologies are
now available to help
overcome infertility
The Germinal Stage (first two
weeks)
 1. The blastocyst is differentiated
into three layers: the ectoderm, the
endoderm, and the mesoderm.
 2. The blastocyst moves down
the fallopian tube into the uterus for
implantation.
 3. The embryonic stage begins
with implantation, and the fully
implanted blastocyst is referred to as
the embryo.
Blastocyst at day six
Embryonic Stage (3rd through
8th weeks)
 1. Growth in the embryonic and fetal stages
follows a cephalocaudal (head-to-tail) pattern
and a proximodistal (near-to-far) pattern.
 2. The head, blood vessels, heart, and most
vital organs begin to develop before the arms,
legs, hands, and feet.
Early Embryonic Stage
Embryonic stage

3. The placenta forms as an area


of the uterine wall through which oxygen
and nutrients reach the fetus.
4. The umbilical cord connects
the embryo to the placenta and provides
nutrients and carries away waste products.
5. The amniotic sac surrounds
the embryo and protects it.
Later embryonic stage
Fetal Stage (9th to birth)
1. The fetal stage is marked by the
development of the first bone cells. The embryo is now
called the fetus.
2. By the third month, the fetus is able to move
its head, legs, and feet. By the fourth month, the
mother may feel quickening, or fetal movement.
3. The beginning of the seventh month is
considered the age of viability.
4. At the end of nine months, the fetus weighs
on average 7.5 pounds and is almost 20 inches long.
Fetus at 12 weeks
Fetus at 18 weeks

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