Explain why normal development is so crucial during critical periods, and give an example of what can happen if normal development does not occur.
What will be an ideal response?
Critical periods are times of intense development and rapid cell division, and they are 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.
Examples will vary some by student. An example is as follows: 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
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