PSY 1305 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Childhood Amnesia, Prenatal Development
Document Summary
At conception, only one of the man"s sperm can penetrate the outer coating of the woman"s egg before the egg"s surface blocks out all others. Within 12 hours, the nuclei of the sperm and egg fuse into a single cell. Zygotes: the fertilized egg; it enters a 2 week (10 days) period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo. Differentiate: the cells specialize in structure and function. Embryo: the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month. Fetus: the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth. Teratogens: agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm (ex. Fetal alcohol syndrome (fas): physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant women"s heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions. Infants are born with a number of automatic responses (reflexes) that aid survival.
