1.
Adrenaline: A hormone that generally arouses the body, increasing the heart and respiration rates
2.
Amniotic fluid: Fluid within the amniotic sac that suspends and protects the fetus
3.
Amniotic sac: The sac containing the fetus
4.
Androgens: Male sex hormones (from roots meaning "giving birth to men").
5.
Blastocyst: A stage within the germinal peroid of prenatal development in which the zygote has the form of a sphere of cells surrounding a cavity of fluid
6.
Cephalocaudal: From head to tail
7.
Congenital: Present at birth; resulting from the prenatal environment
8.
DES: Abbreviation for diethylstilbestrol, a powerful estrogen that has been linked to cancer in the reproductive organs of children of women who used the hormone when pregnant
9.
Ectoderm: The outermost cell layer of the newly formed embryo from which the skin and nervous system develop
10.
Embryonic disk: The platelike inner part of the blastocyst that differentiates into the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm of the embryo
11.
Embryonic stage: The stage of prenatal development that lasts from implantation through the eighth week of pregnancy; it is characterized by the development of the major organ systems
12.
Endoderm: The inner layer of the embryo from which the lungs and digestive system develop
13.
Fetal Alcohol Effect: A cluster of symptoms less severe than those of fetal alcohol syndrome shown by children of women who drank moderately during pregnancy
14.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): A cluster of symptoms shown by children of women who drank heavily during pregnancy, including characteristic facial features and mental retardation
15.
Fetal stage: The stage tof development that lasts from the beginning of the ninth week of pregnancy through birth; it is characterized by gains in size and weight and by maturation of the organ systems
16.
Germinal stage: The peroid of development between conception and the implantation of the embryo
17.
HIV/AIDS: HIV stand for a virus, the human immunodeficiency virus, which cripples the body's immune system. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV is a sexually transmitted infection that can also be transmitted in other ways, such as sharing needles when shooting up drugs. AIDS is caused by HIV and drscribes body's state when the immune system is weakened to the point where it is vulnerable to a variety of diseases that would otherwise be fought off
18.
Mesoderm: The central layer of the embryo from which the bones and muscles develop
19.
Neonate: A newborn baby
20.
Neural tube: A hollowed-out area in the blastocyst from which the nervous system develops
21.
Placenta: An organ connected to the uterine wall and to the fetus by the umbilical cord. It serves as a relay station between mother and fetus for the exchange of nutrients and wastes
22.
Premature: Born before the full term of gestation. Also referred to as preterm
23.
Progestin: A hormone used to maintain pregnancy that can cause masculinization of the fetus
24.
Proximodistal: From the inner part (or axis) of the body outward
25.
Rh incompatibility: A condition in which antibodies produced by the mother are transmitted to the child, possibly causing brain damage or death
26.
Rubella: A viral infection that can cause retardation and heart disease in the embryo. Also called the German measles
27.
Stillbirth: The birth of a dead fetus
28.
Syphilis: A sexually transmitted infection that, in advanced stages, can attack major organ systems
29.
Teratogens: Environmental influences that can damage the embryo or fetus (from the Greek teras, meaning "monster"
30.
Testosterone: A male sex hormone--a steroid--that is produced by the testesand that promotes growth of the male sexual characteristics and sperm
31.
Thalidomide: A sedative used in the 1960s that has been linked to birth defects, especially deformed or absent limbs
32.
Toxemia: A life-threatening disease that can afflict pregnant women; it is characterized by high blood pressure
33.
Trophoblast: The outer part of the blastocyst from which the amniotic sac, placenta, and umbilical cord develop
34.
Umbilical cord: A tube that connects the fetus to the placenta
