| A | B |
|---|
| amniotic fluid | liquid that surrounds and protects the developing baby in the uterus during pregnancy |
| conception | the union of an ovum and sperm resulting in the beginning of a pregnancy |
| embryo | the developing baby from about the thrid to the eighth week of pregnancy |
| fetus | the developing baby from the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy until birth |
| ovum | female cell, or egg needed for reproduction |
| placenta | a tissue in the uterus of a pregnant woman that is rich in blood vessels and plays a role in bringing food and oxygen from the mother's body to a developing baby |
| prenatal development | physical changes that take place before a baby is born |
| sperm | male cell needed for reproduction |
| umbilical cord | a long tube that connects the placenta to the developing baby during pregnancy; carries food and oxygen to the baby |
| uterus | the organ in a woman's body in which a baby develops during pregnancy |
| zygote | a fertilized egg |
| chromosomes | tiny threadlike particles in the nucleus of every cell |
| dominant | the gene that dictates the way a trait is expressed |
| genes | units that determine inherited characteristics |
| infertility | the inability to become pregnant |
| recessive | the gene that is expressed as a trait only if paired with a matching recessive gene |
| surrogate | a substitute |
| amniocentesis | a prenatal test performed by withdrawing a sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby and testing that fluid for indications of specific birth defects or other health problems |
| birth defect | problem(s) babies are born with which threaten their health or ability to live |
| chorionic willi sampling | a prenatal test for specific birth defects performed by sampling small amounts of the tissue from the membrane that encases the fetus |
| miscarriage | the unexpected death of a developing baby before 20 weeks of pregnancy |
| stillbirth | the death of a developing baby after 20 weeks of a pregnancy |
| ultrasound | a prenatal test performed by using sound waves to make a video image of an unborn baby to check for specific health problems |
| fetal alcohol effects | a condition less severe than fetal alcohol syndrome that still results in damage to the developing baby caused by a pregnant woman drinking alcohol |
| fetal alcohol syndrome | a condition that includes physical and mental problems that result from a mother's drinking alcohol while she's pregnant |
