PSYCH 111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Object Permanence, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Sex Steroid
Document Summary
Development is the sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person progresses from conception to death. Conception occurs when fertilization creates a zygote, a one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg. The prenatal period extends from conception to birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy. The prenatal stage is divided into three phases: (1) the germinal stage (the first two weeks), (2) the embryonic stage (two weeks to two months), and (3) the fetal stage (two months to birth). The germinal stage is the first phase of prenatal development, encompassing the first two weeks after conception. Within 36 hours of conception, rapid cell division begins. The placenta is a structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mother"s bloodstream and bodily wastes to pass out to the mother. The embryonic stage is the second stage of prenatal development, lasting from two weeks until the end of the second month.
