Genetics and Prenatal Testing Quiz

Prenatal Development, Pregnancy, and Birth

• Chapter 2 of "Experiencing the Lifespan"
• Focuses on the processes and stages of prenatal development, pregnancy, and birth.

The Reproductive Systems (part 1)

• Uterus: Pear-shaped muscular organ housing the developing baby, lined with endometrium.
• Cervix: The narrow lower portion of the uterus.
• Fallopian Tubes: Pair of slim, pipe-like structures connecting the ovaries and uterus.
• Ovaries: Almond-shaped organs containing ova (eggs).
• Ovum: Egg cell containing the mother's genetic material.

The Reproductive Systems (part 2)

• Diagrams showing the female and male reproductive systems.
• Labels for key parts of each system, including ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix (female) and testes, penis (male)

The Process of Fertilization

• Fertilization: The union of sperm and egg.
• Ovulation: The release of an ovum from the ovary.
• Testes: Male organs responsible for sperm production.

The Genetics of Fertilization

• Chromosome: Threadlike strand of DNA containing genes that transmit hereditary information.
• DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, the material making up genes and carrying hereditary characteristics.
• Gene: Segment of DNA containing the blueprint for manufacturing a particular protein.

Chromosomes and DNA

• Diagrams illustrating chromosomes, DNA, and genes within a cell.
• Charts showing the typical human chromosomes.

Prenatal Development (part 1)

• Germinal Stage (first 2 weeks): The initial phase of prenatal development, from fertilization to implantation.
  • Zygote
  • Blastocyst
  • Implantation
  • Placenta

Prenatal Development (part 2)

• Embryonic Stage (weeks 3-8): The second stage of prenatal development, characterized by rapid organ formation.
  • Major organs are constructed
  • Neural tube
  • Rapid body development

The Events of the Germinal Stage

• Diagrams illustrating the steps of fertilization, cell division, implantation, and the formation of the blastocyst.

Principles of Prenatal Development (part 1)

• Proximodistal Sequence: Development progresses from the center of the body outward.
• Cephalocaudal Sequence: Development occurs from the head downward.
• Mass-to-Specific Sequence: Large structures and movements develop before detailed refinements.

Principles of Prenatal Development (part 2)

• Images depicting the development of a fetus.

Prenatal Development (part 3)

• Fetal Stage (week 9 to birth): The final stage of prenatal development marked by physical refinements, massive growth, and brain development.
  • Age of Viability: Earliest point a baby can survive outside the womb.

The Expanding Brain

• Images of fetal brain development at different stages.
  • 4 months
  • 7 months
  • 9 months

Poised to Be Born

• Umbilical Cord: Connects the fetus to the placenta and facilitates nutrient and waste exchange.
• Amniotic Sac: Fluid-filled sac protecting and insulating the fetus.

Pregnancy (part 1)

• First Trimester: Often characterized by tiredness and illness.
• Gestation: The period of pregnancy
• Trimester: One of the three three-month segments of pregnancy.
• Hormones: Chemical substances released into the bloodstream affecting organs and tissues during pregnancy.
  • Progesterone
  • Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
• Morning sickness and Couvade (symptom in fathers)
• Miscarriage: Naturally occurring loss of pregnancy and death of the fetus.

Pregnancy (part 2)

• Second Trimester: Feeling better and stronger emotional connection.
• Quickening: Feeling the fetus move.
• Third Trimester: Feeling very large and waiting for birth.
• Physical concerns such as backaches, leg cramps, numbness, tingling, heartburn, insomnia.

Trending in Developmental Science: Decoding Pregnancy Distress

• Results from meta-analysis show slight increases in certain conditions during pregnancy.
  • Anxiety and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders.
• General anxiety doesn't increase in pregnant women.
• Factors such as work/family and relationship issues, rising cortisol levels in the mate may contribute to changes in pregnancy distress rates.

Pregnancy (part 3)

• Shows percentage change over time in minor and serious depression in women.

Threats for Outside: Teratogens

• Teratogens: Substances that cross the placenta harming the fetus.
• Birth Defects: Physical or neurological problems occurring prenatally or at birth.
• Sensitive Period: Specific time when a body structure is most vulnerable to teratogen damage.

Basic Teratogenic Principles

• Teratogens primarily affect the embryonic stage causing major structural damage.
• The developing brain is vulnerable throughout pregnancy to teratogens.
• Teratogens damage is unpredictable and depends on fetal and maternal vulnerabilities.

###The Teratogenic Impact of Medicines and Recreational Drugs

• Smoking: Associated with decreased growth in babies and developmental effects.
• Alcohol: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a cluster of defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).
• Genetic changes causing impaired neural growth effects.

The Long Shadow of Traumatic Life Events

• Severe prenatal traumas affect the entire lifespan
• Prenatal stress can lead to impaired growth, and an expectation of deprivation.
• Outcomes include excessive eating, and excessive fat storage, which could contribute to obesity, as well as potentially a shorter life expectancy.
• Fetal Programming research explores the effects of traumatic pregnancy events and stresses on later life functioning

Threats from Within: Chromosomal and Genetic Disorders (part 1)

• Chromosomal problems (abnormal number of sex chromosomes) can result in learning impairments, and sometimes fertility issues.
• Down Syndrome: Leading cause of chromosomal abnormality, causing intellectual disability, health problems, and distinctive physical characteristics.

Threats from Within: Chromosomal and Genetic Disorders (part 2)

• Most illnesses (cancer, heart disease, schizophrenia) result from complex nature - plus - nurture interactions.
• Single-gene disorders: Disorders caused by presence of a single abnormal gene, which are inherited in a variety of ways (dominant, recessive, sex-linked).

Threats from Within: Chromosomal and Genetic Disorders (part 3)

• Dominant disorders (inherit from one abnormal gene). Examples include Huntington's disease.
• Recessive disorders (two abnormal genes needed for the disorder to occur). Examples include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Tay-Sachs disease.
• Sex-linked disorders (inherited on the X chromosome). Examples include hemophilia.

Interventions

• Genetic counseling: Advice on the potential risks of genetic disorders to individual families.
• Genetic testing: Evaluation of genes to check for potential genetic disorders.
• Prenatal tests: Including MRIs, ultrasounds, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), and amniocentesis are used to check for potential genetic disorders, defects etc..

Prenatal Development, Pregnancy, Prenatal Threats, Tools of Discovery (Timeline)

• Summarizes the various stages of prenatal developments (germinal, embryonic, and fetal stages.)
• Details the periods of vulnerability (sensitive period) of the developing fetus to teratogens.
• Information on tools used to discover or identify potential issues during pregnancy (prenatal tests, genetic counseling etc.)

Infertility and New Reproductive Technologies (part 1)

• Infertility: Inability to conceive after a year of unprotected sex, or an inability to carry to term.
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): Fertilization of an egg outside the womb.
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A type of ART in which conception occurs outside the womb.

Infertility and New Reproductive Technologies (part 2)

• Information about the different trimesters of pregnancy.
• Details on the pregnancy symptoms and issues that occur during each trimester.
• Different tools used to discover issues during pregnancy.

Infertility and New Reproductive Technologies (part 3)

• Information on Fertility issues.
• Details on what Assisted Reproductive Technology is.
• Details about IVF
• Details surrounding implantation and pregnancy hormone issues.

Infertility and New Reproductive Technologies (part 4)

• Graph showing decreasing ART success rates related to increasing the mother's age.

Birth

• Stage 1: Dilation and effacement of the cervix, crowning.
• Stage 2: Birth of the baby.
• Stage 3: Expulsion of the placenta.
• Breech Birth: Baby is born feet first.

Birth Options, Past and Present

• Eighteenth century to nineteenth-century birth options (midwives, contagious diseases).
• Early twentieth-century options (modern hospital births, impersonal procedures).
• Natural childbirth options (midwives, doulas, Lamaze and Bradley methods).
• Medical interventions (episiotomy, epidurals, electronic fetal monitors, C-sections).

The Newborn (part 1)

• Testing newborns: The Apgar scale.
• Low birth weight (LBW): Less than 5.5 pounds at birth.
• Very low birth weight (VLBW): Less than 3.25 pounds at birth.
• Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU): Special hospital unit for treating at-risk newborns (low-birth-weight and very-low-birth-weight babies).

The Newborn (part 2)

• Images of healthy newborns, and babies in the NICU.
• Description of how a baby is evaluated and the types of factors affecting infant wellbeing.

Infant Mortality

• Graph showing infant mortality rates across different countries.

Test your knowledge on genetics, genetic disorders, and prenatal testing with this quiz. Explore topics including gene inheritance patterns, reproductive structures, and functions related to pregnancy. Ideal for students studying biology or medicine.