Prenatal Development

prenatal development, also called antenatal development, in humans, the process encompassing the period from the formation of an embryo, through the development of a fetus, to birth (or parturition).

Track the development of a human being from embryo to fetus to newbornSee all videos for this article

The human body, like that of most animals, develops from a single cell produced by the union of a male and a female gamete (or sex cell). This union marks the beginning of the prenatal period, which in humans encompasses three distinct stages: (1) the pre-embryonic stage, the first two weeks of development, which is a period of cell division and initial differentiation (cell maturation), (2) the embryonic period, or period of organogenesis, which lasts from the third to the eighth week of development, and (3) the fetal period, which is characterized by the maturation of tissues and organs and rapid growth of the body. The prenatal period ends with parturition and is followed by a long postnatal period. Only at about age 25 years are the last progressive changes completed.