Difference between revisions of "Pregnancy"
m (cat) |
|||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | '''Pregnancy''' describes the condition of a mother carrying her unborn offspring | + | '''Pregnancy''' describes the condition of a mother carrying her unborn offspring. A woman becomes pregnant when a fertilised egg—a new human life—is implanted into her [[uterus]]. |
Pregnancy lasts approximately nine months, after which the baby, if born naturally, is born via the [[birth canal]]. Pregnancy in animals other than humans is referred to under the broader term of [[gestation]]. In humans, the terms "gestation" and "pregnancy" are not exactly synonymous. Physicians and midwives generally use the former word when discussing it from the fetus' perspective (e.g., ''Hearing develops between the 15th and 20th week of '''gestation''' ''), and the latter word when discussing it from the mother's perspective (e.g., ''Morning sickness generally subsides between the 15th and 20th week of '''pregnancy''' ''). | Pregnancy lasts approximately nine months, after which the baby, if born naturally, is born via the [[birth canal]]. Pregnancy in animals other than humans is referred to under the broader term of [[gestation]]. In humans, the terms "gestation" and "pregnancy" are not exactly synonymous. Physicians and midwives generally use the former word when discussing it from the fetus' perspective (e.g., ''Hearing develops between the 15th and 20th week of '''gestation''' ''), and the latter word when discussing it from the mother's perspective (e.g., ''Morning sickness generally subsides between the 15th and 20th week of '''pregnancy''' ''). | ||
Revision as of 04:07, October 25, 2008
Pregnancy describes the condition of a mother carrying her unborn offspring. A woman becomes pregnant when a fertilised egg—a new human life—is implanted into her uterus. Pregnancy lasts approximately nine months, after which the baby, if born naturally, is born via the birth canal. Pregnancy in animals other than humans is referred to under the broader term of gestation. In humans, the terms "gestation" and "pregnancy" are not exactly synonymous. Physicians and midwives generally use the former word when discussing it from the fetus' perspective (e.g., Hearing develops between the 15th and 20th week of gestation ), and the latter word when discussing it from the mother's perspective (e.g., Morning sickness generally subsides between the 15th and 20th week of pregnancy ).
Contents
Stages of Pregnancy
Implantation
Pregnancy begins with the implantation of the conceptus into the wall of the uterus. This contains the cells that will develop into the baby as well as those which will go on to form the placenta and membranes.
Embryonic Stage
The embryonic stage consists largely of the differentiation of cells into the tissues of the body. It is divided up into 23 carnegie stages which represent different stages of development.
Fetal Stage
The fetal stage mainly consists of the growth of the foetus and continued development of internal systems.
Footnotes