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Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus01:15

Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus

Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Fetal Circulation01:14

Fetal Circulation

Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
Gonadal and Placental Hormones01:24

Gonadal and Placental Hormones

The gonads, namely the testes in males and the ovaries in females, are pivotal in producing gonadal hormones that orchestrate the intricate processes of sexual development and reproduction.
In males, testosterone is the primary gonadal androgen. It plays a central role in the maturation of male reproductive organs — the penis and testes. Additionally, testosterone is instrumental in the development of secondary sexual characteristics — a deep voice as well as facial and pubic hair growth — and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings
14:40

Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings

Published on: October 25, 2015

Fetal growth and developmental programming.

Sander Galjaard1, Roland Devlieger, Frans A Van Assche

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Journal of Perinatal Medicine
|January 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Early life environments, including in utero, permanently affect fetal development, increasing disease susceptibility. Epigenetics plays a key role in fetal programming and transgenerational metabolic changes.

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High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo

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High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Metabolic disease

Background:

  • The prenatal and early neonatal environment can permanently alter fetal development.
  • These early-life changes increase susceptibility to diseases later in life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role and mechanisms of antenatal and early postnatal events in later-life diseases.
  • To focus on abnormal fetal growth patterns and their impact.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on fetal programming and transgenerational effects.
  • Analysis of mechanisms linking early-life environment to later disease.

Main Results:

  • Fetal overgrowth linked to diabetic intrauterine environments increases obesity risk and transgenerational effects.
  • Fetal growth restriction involves intrauterine malnutrition and subsequent catch-up growth challenges.
  • Epigenetic alterations during embryonic development drive fetal programming and transgenerational metabolic changes.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life environmental exposures, particularly those affecting fetal growth, have lasting impacts on health.
  • Fetal programming, influenced by epigenetics, establishes transgenerational metabolic trajectories.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for preventing later-life diseases.