Fetal Development during Pregnancy

The development of a baby within the human body is quite fascinating. Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s even possible that we as humans can grow another full functioning human. The development of a baby takes nine months to grow. Throughout this time. The baby will go from a sperm and an egg, to an embryo, to a blastocyst, an embryo and do a full functioning fetus.

The Zygote

The zygote is formed from the fertilization from sperm into an egg. This fertilization is through the joining of two haploid cells. The joining of these two cells happens in the fallopian tubes. It is a brief stage in the development of the fetus. This is considered the first step in the process.

The Blastocyst

The blastocyst begin to form three days after fertilization of the egg and the sperm. A developing embryo contains only about 6 to 10 cells. The blastocyst is a rapidly dividing ball of cells that is the initial start to the multiplication of cells to develop a fetus. The inner group of the cells that are rapidly dividing is what becomes the embryo. The outer group of the blastocyst is what nourishes and protects the embryo which is then formed into the placenta. The blastocyst is what implants to the uterus and begins to grow into the fetus.

The Embryo

The embryo is next to form in the process of the fertilized egg to the fetus. It grows inside the placenta for a few months until birth. The timeframe of the embryo is from 10 weeks to 14 weeks and at 14 weeks and is considered a fetus. It grows from about .6 inches to 3.5 inches.

The Fetus

The fetus is the final stage of development in the cycle. As a baby is considered a fetus, it begins to look more like an actual human. The fetus grows until about 40 weeks. It has grown into a full functioning baby that can survive outside of a mom with all of its major organs. Toward the end of the fetus’ developmental stages, the fetus will then slip meaning it is facing it head towards the opening of the vaginal canal. This indicates that the baby is ready to live life outside of the mother.

For this project I decided to describe the differences between a zygote, blastocyst, embryo and fetus. While doing this project I was able to fully understand the differences in fetal development as well as how long these stages occur. I have been under the impression that each stage was a similar amount of time. But after doing this project and more research, I was able to understand that each of these developmental stages have different time frames, different growth rates and even understand what parts of the body develop during each of these time frames. Being able to draw out the different stages shows the representations of what is happening during these developmental stages. Being able to see the distinct differences throughout the drawings further to my understanding on the topic.

Citations:

Crawford, D. (2020). Biological basis of child health 2: introduction to fertilization, prenatal development and birth. Nursing Children and Young People, 32(3), 32–41. https://doi.org/10.7748/ncyp.2020.e124

Fetal development: Month-By-Month Stages of Pregnancy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7247-fetal-development-stages-of-growth

Stages of Development of the Fetus By Raul Artal-Mittelmark, By, Artal-Mittelmark, R., & Last full review/revision May 2021| Content last modified May 2021. (n.d.). Stages of Development of the Fetus – Women’s Health Issues. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/normal-pregnancy/stages-of-development-of-the-fetus