| A | B |
|---|
| prenatal | during the period before birth |
| ovum | a female cell or egg |
| uterus | the organ in a woman's body in which a baby develops during pregnancy |
| sperm | male cell |
| conception | the union of an ovum and a sperm |
| zygote | fertilized egg--first two weeks after conception |
| embryo | the developing cluster of cells in the uterus during the 3rd through 8th week after conception |
| placenta | the tissue that connects the sacs around the unborn baby and the mother's uterus |
| umbilical cord | a long tube that connects the placenta to the unborn baby |
| amniotic fluid | a special fluid that surrounds and protects the developing baby during pregnancy |
| fetus | the unborn baby from about the 8th week of pregnancy until birth |
| fallopian tube | tube connected to uterus where conception takes place |
| chromosomes | tiny threadlike particles in the nucleus of every cell that carry hereditary characteristics |
| genes | the units that determine inherited characteristics |
| dominant | the stronger gene |
| recessive | the weaker gene |
| infertility | the inability to concieve children |
| premature | born before development is complete |
| birth defect | an abnormality present at birth |
| miscarriage | the natural ending of a pregnancy before the embryo or fetus could possibly survive |
| stillbirth | the natural ending of a pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation |
| ultrasound | a technique of using sound waves to make a video image of an unborn baby to check for specific health problems |
| amniocentesis | withdrawing a sample of amniotic fluid with a special needle to test for birth defects or other health problems |
| CVS (Chorionic Villi Sampling) | process of testing for specific birth defects by sampling small amounts of tissue from the membrane that encases the fetus |
| fetal alcohol effects | a condition involving some, but not all, of the symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome |
| fetal alcohol syndrome | a condition of physical deformities and cognitive problems resulting from a mother's consumption of alcohol during pregnancy |
