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Stages And Processes Of Human Prenatal Development Essay

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Stages and Processes of Human Prenatal Development
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this article is to highlight the biological processes that drive embryonic development. It will be mainly focused on stages of prenatal development at the semi-cellular level that result in visible advances in the embryo’s development as it matures into a fetus and eventually is born. However, these biological processes are not flawless; in some cases, infections, risk factors present in the environment outside of the uterus, or genetic diseases can pose harm by altering how developmental processes proceed or even result in lethality to the fetus. Genetic diseases and illnesses of high concern will thus be discussed in greater detail, as will proposals to prevent or lower the risk of these events from affecting development.
PRENATAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Development of the embryo into a fetus throughout pregnancy consists of three main periods of development, made up of several weeks of development between each one; these are referred to commonly and by medical professionals as the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. Following conception, the embryonic stage of prenatal development begins through the fifth week of pregnancy in which major structures begin to form. At this stage, the cells of the body begin to differentiate into cells that are specialized in unique functions such as blood, kidney, and nerve cells for their corresponding organ systems (Hill, 2016). According to Sacks

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