Prenatal development

From WikiMD.org
(Redirected from Perinatal period)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Prenatal Development

Prenatal development (pronunciation: /priːˈneɪtəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt/), also known as gestation, is the process in which an embryo or fetus (pronunciation: /ˈfiːtəs/) develops during pregnancy, from fertilization until birth.

Etymology

The term "prenatal" comes from the Latin "prae-" meaning "before" and "natus" meaning "birth".

Stages of Prenatal Development

Prenatal development is typically divided into three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.

Germinal Stage

The germinal stage begins at fertilization, when the sperm fertilizes the ovum, and lasts until implantation in the uterus, which marks the start of the embryonic stage.

Embryonic Stage

The embryonic stage starts at implantation and lasts until about the eighth week of pregnancy. During this stage, the major organs and structures of the body start to develop.

Fetal Stage

The fetal stage begins in the ninth week of pregnancy and lasts until birth. This is the longest stage of prenatal development and is characterized by rapid growth and further development of the organs and structures established in the embryonic stage.

Related Terms

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski