Detailed pictures of the entire fetal development process
In the mother\’s body, the growth of the fetus from fertilized egg to birth is a very magical and wonderful process. The following will introduce in detail the different stages of fetal development, fetal organs, placenta, amniotic fluid and fetal respiration.
Stages of fetal development
Fetal development can be divided into three stages: early stage, middle stage and late stage.
In the early stage, the fertilized egg undergoes division and cell differentiation to form a small ball composed of cells, which then enters the uterine cavity.
Metaphase includes the third to eighth weeks (embryonic period). During this stage, the most important task is to form the embryo\’s most basic organs, such as the nervous system, heart, and limbs. As the organs gradually form, the size of the embryo gradually becomes larger and the proportions become more reasonable.
The late period includes the period from the ninth week to just before delivery. During this stage, the fetus has formed all its organ systems and begun to improve and develop. During this stage, the fetus grows rapidly in size, gradually meets the conditions for survival, and is ready to face a new life.
Fetal organs
Basically all the organs of the fetus are formed during the embryonic period, the most important of which include the nervous system, heart and limbs.
During the first two weeks of the embryonic period, the nervous system and reproductive system begin to form at the same time. The nervous system originates from the neural plate at the top of the embryo and differentiates to form the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system. The reproductive system forms in the peritoneal cavity and rapidly develops into male or female reproductive organs.
In the third week of the embryonic period, the heart begins to form, and certain cells of the embryo begin to merge, gradually forming a preliminary heart tube. In the fourth week, the four chambers of the heart have formed and begin to beat vigorously.
In terms of limbs, limb formation mainly begins in the fourth week of embryonic development. At this stage, due to division and cell differentiation, the embryo\’s hands and feet begin to differentiate into fingers and toes.
Placenta and amniotic fluid
The placenta is a very important tissue that connects the mother and fetus. It is composed of fetal and maternal tissues. The placenta provides the nutrients and oxygen the fetus needs and removes waste products and carbon dioxide from the fetus.
Amniotic fluid is the fluid between the placenta and the fetus. It protects the fetus and provides it with necessary fluids. This amniotic fluid will continue to increase during the fetal growth period until it reaches about 500 ml in the final period.
Fetal breathing
The fetus does not need to breathe in the mother\’s body because it gets all its oxygen from the mother\’s blood while expelling waste gases and carbon dioxide into the mother\’s blood. After birth, the fetus needs to breathe independently.
In the last few weeks of fetal growth, some conditioned reflexes begin to appear, such as the fetus taking deep breaths. This is a sign that the fetus is ready to be exposed to outside air. This deep breathing causes more fetal movement, increasing lung ventilation volume and strength. After the fetus is born, it takes some time for it to complete these adaptation processes to adapt to the needs of its new life.
In short, fetal development is a very wonderful and complex process. Each stage of fetal development is composed of magical processes involving variousThe formation and normal development and maintenance of tissues and organs. In the end, this little fetus completed its own colorful growth process in the mother\’s body and welcomed the upcoming new life journey.
