Prenatal development - Fetal Growth, Organs, & Systems

prenatal development

Table of Contents

Introduction
Pre-embryonic and embryonic development
- Fertilization
- Cleavage and blastulation
- Implantation and placentation
  - Implantation
  - Placentation
- Extra-embryonic membranes
  - Yolk sac
  - Amnion
  - Allantois
  - Umbilical cord
- Formation of the three primary germ layers
- Growth and differentiation
- Embryonic acquisition of external form
  - Development between the second and fourth weeks
  - Developmental changes in the fifth to eighth weeks
Fetal development
Development of organs
- Ectodermal derivatives
  - Integumentary system
  - Mouth and anus
  - Central nervous system
    - Brain
    - Spinal cord
  - Peripheral nervous system
    - Spinal nerves
    - Cranial nerves
  - Autonomic nervous system
  - Sense organs
    - Olfactory organ
    - Gustatory organ
    - Eye
    - Ear
- Mesodermal derivatives
  - Skeletal system
    - Axial skeleton
    - Appendicular skeleton
    - Articulations
  - Muscular system
  - Vascular system
    - Blood vessels
    - Lymphatic vessels
    - Heart
  - Urinary system
  - Genital system
    - Gonads
    - Genital ducts
    - External genitalia
  - Coelom
- Endodermal derivatives
  - Pharynx
  - Digestive tube
  - Major glands
  - Respiratory system
    - Nasal cavity
    - Larynx, trachea, and lungs
Abnormal development
- Multiple births
- Fetal deviations
- Teratology

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Track the development of a human being from embryo to fetus to newborn

formation of the neural tube in prenatal development

Discover

Julius Caesar in full Gaius Julius Caesar (100? BCE-44 BCE) statue in Rimini, Italy. Roman general and statesman and dictator

The Time Julius Caesar Was Captured by Pirates

Pluto. The Changing Faces of Pluto. Most detailed view to date of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Pluto, as constructed from multiple NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken from 2002 to 2003.

10 Important Dates in Pluto History

earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.

The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950

Solar Eclipse, Eclipse, Solar Flare, Outer Space, Astronomy

What Causes Lunar and Solar Eclipses?

After a perfect launch, spectators try to catch a last glimpse of Space Shuttle Columbia, barely visible at the top end of the twisted column of smoke.

7 Accidents and Disasters in Spaceflight History

In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.

6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters

Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist

The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity

The skin has a double origin. Its superficial layer, or epidermis, develops from ectoderm. The initial single-layered sheet of epithelial cells becomes multilayered by proliferation, and cells nearer the surface differentiate into a horny substance. Pigment granules appear in the basal layer. The epidermis of the palm and sole becomes thicker and more specialized than elsewhere. Cast-off superficial cells and downy hairs mingle with a greasy glandular secretion and smear the skin in the late fetal months; the pasty mass is called vernix caseosa. The deep layer of the skin, or dermis, is a fibrous anchoring bed differentiated from mesoderm. ...(100 of 12266 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.