📚 Quick Study Guide: Prenatal Development Stages
- 🌱 Zygote Stage (Conception - 2 weeks): Begins with fertilization; rapid cell division (mitosis) and formation of the blastocyst. Implantation into the uterine wall occurs around day 10-14.
- 🔬 Embryonic Stage (2 - 8 weeks): Major organs and body systems develop. Heart begins to beat, brain and spinal cord form. Most vulnerable to teratogens during this critical period of organogenesis.
- 👶 Fetal Stage (9 weeks - Birth): Characterized by growth and maturation of existing organs and systems. Rapid increase in size and weight. Development of reflexes, bone hardening, and increased viability.
- 🌍 Teratogens: Environmental agents (e.g., drugs, alcohol, viruses, certain chemicals) that can cause harm during prenatal development. The impact depends on timing, dose, and genetic predispositions.
- 🧠 Brain Development: Significant neural tube closure occurs in the embryonic stage, followed by rapid neuron production and migration. Later, myelination and synaptogenesis accelerate during the fetal stage.
📝 Practice Quiz: Prenatal Development for AP Psychology
1. Which prenatal stage is characterized by rapid cell division and implantation into the uterine wall?
A) Fetal
B) Embryonic
C) Germinal (Zygote)
D) Neonatal
2. During which prenatal stage is the developing organism most vulnerable to the effects of teratogens due to the rapid formation of major organs?
A) Zygote
B) Fetal
C) Embryonic
D) Postnatal
3. The development of the heart, brain, and spinal cord primarily occurs during which prenatal stage?
A) Fetal
B) Embryonic
C) Germinal
D) Infancy
4. What is the primary characteristic of the fetal stage?
A) Formation of the blastocyst
B) Rapid cell differentiation into major organ systems
C) Growth and maturation of existing organs and systems
D) Implantation into the uterus
5. An agent, such as a chemical or virus, that can cause harm to the developing embryo or fetus is known as a:
A) Mutagen
B) Carcinogen
C) Teratogen
D) Pathogen
6. Approximately how long does the embryonic stage last?
A) Conception to 2 weeks
B) 2 weeks to 8 weeks
C) 9 weeks to birth
D) 1 year
7. If a pregnant person consumes alcohol, which prenatal stage would likely see the most severe structural damage to developing organs if exposure occurs early in that stage?
A) Zygote
B) Embryonic
C) Fetal
D) Postnatal
Click to see Answers
1. C
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. C
6. B
7. B
