Discuss the term "critical periods" in relation to pregnancy
What will be an ideal response?
Times of intense development and rapid cell division are called critical periods—critical in the sense that those cellular activities can occur only at those times. If cell division and number are limited during a critical period, full recovery is not possible. Damage during these critical times of pregnancy has permanent consequences for the life and health of the fetus. The development of each organ and tissue is most vulnerable to adverse influences (such as nutrient deficiencies or toxins) during its own critical period.
The neural tube, for example, is the structure that eventually becomes the brain and the spinal cord, and its critical period of development is from 17 to 30 days of gestation. Consequently, neural tube development is most vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies, nutrient excesses, or toxins during this critical time—when most women do not yet even realize they are pregnant. Any abnormal development of the neural tube or its failure to close completely can cause a major defect in the central nervous system.
You might also like to view...
The ingestion of nitrate through nitrate-rich foods or supplementation will lead to an increase in generation of ____.?
A) ?nitrous oxide B) ?nitric acid C) ?calcium nitrate D) ?nitric oxide
Many anticoagulants work by inhibiting the regeneration of active vitamin K (i.e., dihydrovitamin KH2 ) during the vitamin K cycle.?
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Reduced kidney function can cause nitrogen-containing waste products, such as _____, to accumulate in the blood
a. ammonia b. creatinine c. amino acids d. lipids
Obesity resulting from an increase in the size of fat cells is termed:
a. hyperplastic obesity b. hypertrophic obesity c. hypometabolic obesity d. leptin-dependent obesity