Exam 2: Biological Foundations: Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth

Kimberley is having a discussion with her friend Aasta about the genetic determinants of development. They cannot come to an agreement on what the functional units of heredity are. If they asked you to help them figure this out, what would you say?

The reason why environmental teratogens pose a special kind of risk for unborn children is that pregnant mothers may be unaware of their presence in her surroundings, which makes it more difficult to protect herself from them.

During the period of the ________, the longest stage of prenatal development, the child reaches the age of viability. After this point in the pregnancy, the child would be capable of surviving outside of the mother's body.

Sickle-cell disease is a direct result of teratogenic influences, including maternal malnutrition or tobacco use.

Roughly ________ of new mothers experience the "baby blues," which may involve feelings of irritation and resentment, accompanied by crying spells.

Charlotte has just found out that she is pregnant, and she is thrilled about the news. She is concerned, however, because although she knows that her weight and body will change over the next several months, she wants those changes to be healthy. Which of the following advice should you give?

The fact that exposure to a teratogen during the period of the zygote often leads to a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) while the same exposure during the period of the fetus can lead to minor defects of bodily structures or systems demonstrates that

Your textbook notes the following three key concepts in biology. For each one, provide a potential real-life example illustrating each of these principles: · "Heredity and environment interact dynamically throughout development." · "Genes can influence the kind of environment to which a person is exposed." · "Environmental influences typically make children within a family different."

Maricella was born several days ago, and her pediatrician has observed that she has almond-shaped eyes and a fold over her eyelids. In addition, her head, neck, and nose are smaller than other babies of her birth weight. With which of the following conditions would Maricella most likely be diagnosed?

Alissa is a 41-year-old, married, professional woman who has just found out that she is pregnant with her third child. According to your textbook, which of the following conditions is her baby at higher risk of due to Alissa's age?

If a pregnant woman consumes more than limited amounts of ________ on a regular basis, her child may be born with a lower birth weight and may have decreased muscle tone.

Born 39 weeks after conception, Sasha weighs in at around two pounds. Given this information, Sasha is best defined as

Which of the following is the correct order of the stages of pregnancy?

Young Marvin, just a few months of age, is growing at a slower rate than would be expected for his age. He has heart problems and a slightly misshapen face, and is often very fussy and difficult to soothe. Which of the following substances did his mother likely ingest on a regular basis during her pregnancy?

How is it that DNA "knows" which specific amino acids, proteins, or enzymes to create?

Monozygotic twins are more commonly referred to as ________ twins, while dizygotic twins are known as ________ twins.

Which of the following types of sensory input are most salient to a fetus?

A group of compounds that provides a specific set of biochemical instructions for development is a(n) _______.

Any agent that interferes with normal prenatal development is a(n) ________.

In order for a child to be described as having low birth weight, (s)he would have to weigh: