Prenatal (fertilization - birth)

Embryo - (fertilization - 8 weeks of gestational

phase)
Zygote, the point of conception, fertilization
blastocyst the period between conception and
embryonic stages
Embryo; the embryonic period starts at three
weeks and continues until the end of the 8th week
of pregnancy

Fetus (8 weeks of gestational phase birth)

Child (birth - puberty)

Neonate (newborn) (0-30 days)

Infant (baby) (1 month-1 year)
Toddler (1-4)
Play age (3 - 6 years)
Primary school age (also called
prepubescence) (4-12)
Elementary school age (also called middle
childhood) (4-8)
Preadolescence (preteen, or late childhood. The
child in this and the previous phase are called
schoolchild (schoolboy or schoolgirl), when still of
primary school age.) (10-12)

Adolescence and puberty (12-20)

Adult (21-death)

Early adulthood (21-39)

Middle adulthood (40-59)
Advanced adult/Senior citizen (60+)

Death (occurs at various ages, depending

on person)

Decomposition (breakdown of the body after

death)

Also sometimes used are terms that

specify one's age in numbers, such as:

Also sometimes used are terms that specify

one's age in numbers, such as:

Child (0-12)
Teenager (13-19)
Twentysomething (20-29)
Thirtysomething (30-39)
Fortysomething (40-49) (formerly also Quadragenarian, rarely
used since 1980)
Quinquagenarian (50-59)
Sexagenarian (60-69)
Septuagenarian (70-79)
Octogenarian (80-89)
Nonagenarian (90-99)
Centenarian (100-109)
Supercentenarian (110+)

Physical development milestones

Ability to lift and control the orientation of the head

Crawling begins
Walking begins
Speech begins
Voice lowers in pitch (especially noticeable in boys)
Pubic hair appears
Genitals and reproductive organs mature
Menstrual cycle begin (females)
Body hair and facial hair appears

The Beginning of Life

Maturation is the process of
chromosome reproduction through cell
division
Ovulation is a preliminary stage of
development applicable only to the female
sex cells. It is the process of escape of
one mature ovum during the menstrual
cycle

Fertilization occurs at
the time of conception
when the sperm cell
fertilizes the ovum

Reproduction is the process by which

organisms create more organisms of their
own kind. It is the most important of all
life processes

Female Reproductive System

Male Reproductive System

Process of Reproduction
Mature sex cells or
Gametes
Male: Sperm

enters the ovum

in the process
called fusion or
fertilization

Mature sex cells or

Gametes
Female: Ovum (Egg)

forms
Zygote or
Fertilized Egg

travels 6 inches for 3-4 days

Fallopian Tube

zygote goes
Womb or Uterus

Characteristics of the ff:

Male gamete: oval head, whip like
tail, more than 300 million are
produced each day each having a
unique genetic composition
Female gamete: not selfpropelled, are moved along by
small cilia structures, one ovum
matures and released each
month, each ovum has a unique
composition of genetic material,
size is as small as a period and
can be barely seen, degenerates
when there is no fusion

Significant Events
During Conception

1. Heredity:
transmission of traits from
parents to offspring through the
genes
Biological inheritance
takes place during fertilization

Traits carried by genes through the

chromosomes (long threadlike structures
made of protein and nucleic acid
containing hereditary materials)
Mature sex cells or
Gametes
Male: Sperm
23 chromosomes

Fertilization

New Human Being with

23 pairs of chromosomes
or 46 chromosomes

Mature sex cells or

Gametes
Female: Ovum or
Egg
23 chromosomes

Issues Regarding Sex

In some cultures, the birth of a male child
is celebrated and female children are
aborted because male children are
preferred
Historical literature states that women are
faulted for not producing male children
when in fact through the science of
genetics (study of biological inheritance), it
is proven that it is the males sperm that
determines the sex of the child

2. Sex/ Gender:
Of the 23 pairs, 22 pairs called the
autosomes are of the same size and
shape
Sex is determined by the 23rd pair of
chromosomes known as the sex
chromosomes

Mothers ova contains an X chromosome

Fathers sperm may contain an X or a Y
If the mothers ova is fertilized by a sperm
with an X chromosome, the child will be a
female bearing an XX sex chromosome
pair
If the mothers ova is fertilized by a sperm
with an Y chromosome, the child will be a
male bearing an XY sex chromosome pair

4. Sex linked traits/ disorders:

traits carried by the mother which are
passed on to children. Female children
become carriers while the male children
manifest the disorders

3. Dominant and Recessive Traits

Dominant Traits
Brown eyes
Curly hair
Kinky hair
Dark skin color
White hair color
Dimpled cheeks
Six fingers
Cleft chin

Recessive Traits
Blue eyes
Straight hair
All types of hair
Normal/ fair
Normal hair color
Lack of dimples
Five fingers
Normal chin

Prenatal Development
Period of the Zygote/ Germinal Period:
Fertilization to end second week
Zygote is about the size of a pinhead
After 10 days, the zygote is implanted in
the uterine wall

Period of the Embryo: end of second week

to the end of the second month
Embryo develops to a human being
Major development occurs
External and internal features of the body
are established

Period of the Fetus: end of the second

month to birth
By 3rd month, internal organs are
developed enough to function
By 5th month, internal organs are
positioned like those in the adult body
Nerve cells increase rapidly during the 2 nd
4th month

Embryo and Fetus Maturation

1st month
Fertilization occurs
Blastocyst implants in the uterus
Nervous and circulatory system develops
2nd month
Head develops to half of the embryos size
Face and neck, mouth and jaws form
Major digestive organs become differentiated
Heartbeats begin

3rd month
Digestive organs begin functioning
Bone formation
Sex organs develop rapidly
Arms, legs and fingers make spontaneous
movements
4th month
Face acquires human appearance
Lower body grows rapidly, outgrows the head
Most bones are distinctly seen

7th month
Fetus capable of living outside the uterus
Fetus looks like a dried up, aged person with
red, wrinkled skin
Cerebral fissures and convolutions develop
8th-9th months
Subcutaneous fat is deposited
Fingernail reach beyond fingertips
Hair is shed
Initial Myelination of the brain
Source: W. J. Robbins (1928) Yale University Press

Hazards
Physical conditions
Illnesses like rubella: risk of blindness, deafness,
brain damage, heart diseases
Maternal malnutrition: underweight at birth, may
suffer rickets, physical and neurological defects
Maternal age: teenage pregnancy may lead to
premature birth and undersized infants; a
healthy woman in her 30s and 40s may enjoy a
good prospect of giving birth with supervised
medical attention

Exposure to chemicals
Thalidomide (tranquilizer): malformed or
missing limbs
Quinine (for Malaria): congenital deafness
Barbiturates (sedatives): affects oxygen
supply and may cause brain damage
Antihistamine: spontaneous abortion
Caffeine: spontaneous abortion

Complications of delivery
Syphilis: fetal or perinatal death
Genital Herpes: infant may contract the
disease
HIV/ AIDS
Diabetes: stillborn, unformed spines,
misplaced heart, displaced hips
Rh Factor (incompatibility between mother
and infants blood): fatal anemia and
jaundice

Psychological Hazards
Traditional beliefs
Maternal Stress
Unfavorable attitude of significant others

Chromosomal
Aberrations

Downs Syndrome

Trisomy 21 (Down
Syndrome) is a genetic
disorder that occurs
when an extra copy of
the chromosome is
present in the 21st
chromosomal pairing.
The risk of carrying a
Trisomy 21 child
increases with age (after
35, the risk increases
dramatically).
Characteristics: mental
retardation, risk of heart
defects as well as
gastrointestinal problems
associated with intestine
or esophagus blockages.

Turner's Syndrome is a
relatively common disease in
females, affecting many body
systems.
Due to the deletion of the X
chromosome from the father
in the 23rd pair
Characteristics: short stature,
failure to mature sexually,
learning difficulties, skeletal
abnormalities, hearing loss,
liver dysfunction, heart and
kidney abnormalities, infertility,
and thyroid dysfunction

Turners
Syndrome

Trisomy 18 (Edwards
Syndrome) is a genetic
disorder that occurs when
an extra copy of the
chromosome is present in
the 18th chromosomal
pairing.
Majority of these children
die within a very short
time after birth. A higher
risk of the baby dying
whilst still in the uterus is
also a factor.
Mental retardation is an
inevitable result of this
extra chromosome.
Edwards Syndrome is
normally characterized by
low set ears, deformed
fingers, narrow nose and
a receding jaw as well as
congenital heart disease.

Edwards
Syndrome

Cri Du Chat Syndrome

Cri Du Chat
Syndrome is due to
a deletion of part of
chromosome 5.
The name is
derived from the
distinctive sound
made when
children with this
problem are crying
('Cri du Chat'
means 'Cat's Cry'
when translated
from French).
Characteristics:
distinctive facial
features, shortened
lifespan and suffer
varying levels of
mental retardation

Williams Syndrome
Due to a deletion of a part of
chromosome 7 occurs instead
of an extra copy of a
chromosome being present.
Characteristics: distinctive
facial features that appear
"elf-like" in appearance,
learning difficulties and a
loving/exuberant personality
is usual.
Medical problems associated
with Williams syndrome
include calcium instability,
artery anomalies, cardiac
problems and poor
conditioning of the
teeth/gums.

Cornelia de Lange
Due to a faulty
gene on
chromosome 3
Characteristics:
several physical
and
developmental
abnormalities.

Angelman Syndrome
Rare neurogenetic disorder
that is
predominantly
caused by
deletions on
chromosome 15
given by the
mother
Mostly of
Caucasian birth

Apert Syndrome
Duetogeneticmutation
onchromosome10
Characteristics:specific
craniofacialandlimb
abnormalities
Themutationcanbe
inheritedfromaparent
whohasApertsyndrome
oritcanbea
spontaneous(new)
mutation.
StudiesshowthatApert
syndrometendstooccur
moreofteninchildren
witholderfathers.

Klinefelters Syndrome
Due to an extra X chromosome
from the father on the 23rd pair
Characteristics: underdeveloped
secondary sex characteristics and
learning difficulties
Only occurs among males

References:
Balatbat, L., Entao, E. & Huvalla, C., (2004) Work text in
Fundamentals of Psychology, St. Scholasticas College.
Unpublished text book
Myers, David (1995) Psychology 4th ed. Worth
Publishers
National Center on Birth Defects and
Developmental Disabilities (2006) Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (2006) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders. Date last retrieved: July 18, 2006.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm
Vander Zanden, James (2000) Human
Development 7th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill (Revised by:
Thomas Crandell and Corrine Crandell