In order to fertilize an egg, a sperm must enter the female body and make its way to the fallopian tubes, where the female sex cells are located. The eggs themselves are a kind of fortress, as they are covered with a special membrane, which is a serious barrier to penetration. Therefore, more than one million spermatozoa are sent to storm it. As soon as one (2-3) of them is inside the egg, a number of chemical-biological and chemical-physical processes take place in it, which close the “window” formed after its penetration. From the moment the sperm has fertilized the egg, a long process of embryo development begins, consisting of several stages, one of which will help answer the question: "Why is the embryonic period also called the germinal period?"
Stages of embryonic development
The stages of embryonic development are called trimesters, as they reflect three consecutivethe period of development of a fertilized egg inside the body of a woman. So, let's consider the features of each stage of embryo development.
Preembryonic stage. As a rule, its duration is 2-3 weeks. During this period, the future man begins to divide cells, and he begins to move to the uterus, where he attaches himself to one of the walls, destroying its mucous membrane with secreted enzymes and literally growing into it. Since dividing cells do not yet have the exact location and shape of a person, the first trimester cannot explain why the embryonic period is also called the germinal period.
The embryonic stage begins at the sixth week of pregnancy. The embryo is already turning into a full-fledged living embryo, since all the main systems and organs of the unborn child are formed in it. That is why the embryonic period is also called the germinal period.
The fetal stage starts from the 8th week of pregnancy. During the third period, the embryo is called "fetus" ("humanoid"), since it has already acquired the outlines of a person. The fetal stage continues until the baby is born.
In itself, the development of the human embryo leads to a mobile and more intensive work of all organs and systems of a pregnant woman. This happens in order to ensure the fetus normal life and growth. The fetus also has a number of special mechanisms that help it adapt to survive in adverse conditions. So, for example, to getthe required amount of oxygen, the number of erythrocytes in the blood of the embryo almost doubles, on the basis of which, the heartbeat also doubles. Increased blood flow from the mother's body to the body of the unborn child through the umbilical cord is provided by the intensive work of the pregnant woman's heart and so on.
So, we can conclude that the development of medicine does not stand still and every year more and more discoveries are made related to the amazing state of a woman during pregnancy. Literally 10 years ago, doctors did not even imagine what great discoveries they could make, why the embryonic period is also called the embryonic period. Now they have discovered how the organs of a developing human work, what features he has at one stage or another of development, and much more.
