W07 Prenatal Development

1. What are the main events during the zygotic (germinal) period of prenatal development?

• Formation of major organ systems

• Growth and refinement of body structures

• Rapid cell division and implantation in the uterine wall

• Development of the placenta and umbilical cord

2. The impact of teratogens during prenatal development can vary in their effects depending on all of the following EXCEPT:

• Paternal age at conception

• Length of exposure

• Dose–response relationship

• Timing

3. A child was diagnosed with a congenital condition at birth known as syndactyly, where her toes were conjoined on both feet. How would you best explain this condition?

• The child likely developed tumors later in fetal development.

• The zygote did not experience mitosis.

• During fetal growth, the fetus developed a defect in the neural tube.

• The child likely did not undergo the correct sequence of apoptosis during prenatal development

4. Spontaneous electrical activity in the developing brain helps shape early neural connections even before birth. This process reflects:

• Neural differentiation

• Cell migration

• Neural tube formation

• Hebbian learning

5. Researchers presented fetuses with different patterns of light projected through the uterine wall. They found that fetuses turned their heads more often toward lights arranged in a face-like configuration than toward inverted patterns. What does this suggest?

• Fetuses prefer inverted face-like patterns.

• Fetuses are attracted to any bright light, regardless of its shape or arrangement.

• Fetuses cannot yet differentiate between different visual patterns.

• Fetuses can detect and prefer face-like patterns.

6. Dena is 30 weeks pregnant and has volunteered for a study. She reads a book aloud every night for two weeks. Then, a friend reads the same book. Which finding would demonstrate that the fetus has dishabituated after becoming habituated to Dena’s voice?

• The fetus’s responses became less reactive by the end of the first two weeks.

• The fetus showed a preference for the friend’s voice.

• The fetus’s heart rate increased when the friend began reading the book.

• The fetus showed no physiological changes during the study.

7. Which biological process is responsible for the production of gametes (egg and sperm) containing half the genetic material of normal cells?

• Meiosis

• Mitosis

• Apoptosis

• Synaptogenesis

8. During prenatal development, stem cells transform into roughly 350 different types of specialized cells. This process is known as:

• Cell migration

• Cell differentiation

• Cell proliferation

• Apoptosis

9. The embryonic period of prenatal development lasts from:

• Conception to 2 weeks

• 9th week to birth

• Implantation to the 8th week

• Conception to the 8th week

10. Which statement regarding the placenta is correct?

• It is a perfect barrier that blocks all toxins and viruses.

• It allows for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and waste between the mother and fetus.

• It is the tube containing blood vessels connecting the fetus to the uterine wall.

• It is formed solely from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst.

11. The neural tube, which eventually differentiates into the brain and spinal cord, is formed from:

• A U-shaped groove in the top layer of differentiated cells

• The umbilical cord extending into the embryo

• The proliferation of stem cells in the limbs

• The amniotic sac compressing the embryo

12. During the early stages of prenatal brain development, approximately how many neurons are produced per minute?

• 10,000

• 50,000

• 250,000

• 1,000,000

13. Which theory of development suggests that genes, brain structure, brain function, and experience all interact bidirectionally?

• Blueprint analogy

• Probabilistic development

• Predetermined development

• Maturational theory

14. Minamata disease, which caused severe neurological symptoms in newborns, was caused by which teratogen?

• Thalidomide

• Alcohol

• Zika virus

• Mercury

15. The drug Thalidomide, used in the 1960s, is a classic example of how timing affects teratogenic impact. What specific deformity did it cause when taken between the 4th and 6th week?

• Major limb deformities

• Blindness

• Deafness

• Cognitive impairment

16. The "Sleeper Effect" in teratology refers to:

• The fetus sleeping more due to drug exposure.

• An effect that only becomes apparent later in the child's life.

• A drug that causes the mother to sleep, harming the baby.

• The immediate impact of sedatives on fetal heart rate.

17. Which prenatal imaging technique uses the different physical properties of tissues (skull, grey matter, fluid) to create STATIC maps of the developing brain?

• Prenatal MEG

• Prenatal EEG

• Prenatal Ultrasound

• fMRI

18. At what gestational age does spontaneous movement generally begin in the fetus?

• 5 weeks

• 12 weeks

• 20 weeks

• 28 weeks

19. By 18-19 weeks of gestation, the majority of fetal arm movements are directed towards:

• The uterine wall

• The umbilical cord

• The legs

• The mouth (hand-to-mouth)

20. Evidence suggests that fetuses can hear and process sounds from the external environment (outside the womb) starting from around:

• 12 weeks

• 28 weeks

• 36 weeks

• Birth

21. DeSnoo (1937) demonstrated that fetuses have a preference for sweet tastes by:

• Measuring fetal heart rate when the mother ate chocolate.

• observing facial expressions via ultrasound after the mother ate kale.

• Injecting sugar into the amniotic fluid and observing increased ingestion.

• Measuring the kicking rate after the mother drank orange juice.

22. Which of the following best supports the idea that prenatal auditory experience influences postnatal preferences?

• Newborns prefer the language they heard in the womb over a foreign language.

• Newborns prefer male voices over female voices.

• Newborns show no preference for their mother's voice until 2 months old.

• Newborns cannot distinguish between music and speech.

23. A recent study by Ronga et al. (2025) found a correlation between fetal eye movements in response to face-like stimuli and the size of which brain structure?

• The Hippocampus

• The Cerebellum

• The Frontal Lobe

• The Thalamic nuclei

24. What mechanism is proposed to help pull the developing cortex into its folded shape (gyri and sulci)?

• Fluid pressure from the ventricles

• Tension of axon bundles (white matter tracts)

• Rapid skull growth compressing the brain

• The death of neurons in the sulci

25. What is the primary function of the umbilical cord?

• It is the tube containing blood vessels connecting the placenta and fetus.

• It produces amniotic fluid.

• It protects the fetus from physical shocks.

• It acts as the primary barrier against bacteria.

26. Developmental trends during the embryonic period follow a "cephalocaudal" pattern. This means development proceeds:

• From the extremities inward.

• From the feet upward.

• From the head down.

• From the internal organs to the skin.

27. The case study of "AH," who was born with no right hemisphere, demonstrates the concept of:

• Failed neurogenesis

• The necessity of the right hemisphere for basic survival

• Total lack of brain function

• Functional brain plasticity

28. In the context of teratogens, the "dose-response relation" implies that:

• Any exposure, no matter how small, causes severe damage.

• The effect increases with the extent of exposure, and multiple factors can have a cumulative impact.

• The timing of the dose is the only factor that matters.

• Genetic susceptibility negates the effect of high doses.

29. A study by Ustun et al. (2022) used 4D ultrasound to observe fetal reactions to maternal ingestion of kale and carrot capsules. What did they measure?

• Heart rate variability

• Kick counts

• Facial expressions

• Brain wave activity (MEG)

30. Why are "critical" or "sensitive" periods important in prenatal brain development?

• Opportunities for major neural reorganization are time-limited.

• The brain stops growing after these periods.

• Teratogens have no effect during these periods.

• Neurogenesis only occurs during these periods.

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