Gestation period
Gestation Period
Gestation period (pronunciation: jes-tay-shun pe-ri-od) is the term used to describe the length of time that a pregnancy lasts from conception to birth.
Etymology
The term "gestation" comes from the Latin word "gestare" which means "to carry or to bear". The term "period" comes from the Greek word "periodos" which means "cycle or orbit".
Definition
The gestation period is the time during which an embryo or fetus develops, beginning from the time of the fertilization of the egg by the sperm to the moment of birth. It is usually measured in weeks. The average gestation period for humans is approximately 40 weeks, but it can vary between 37 and 42 weeks.
Related Terms
- Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body.
- Conception: The action of forming a new organism by the combination of a male sperm and a female egg.
- Birth: The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother.
- Embryo: An unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development.
- Fetus: An unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular, an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception.
- Fertilization: The action or process of fertilizing an egg involving the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.
- Egg: The female reproductive cell or gamete.
- Sperm: The male reproductive cell or gamete.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Gestation period
- Wikipedia's article - Gestation period
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