The Upward Journey of the Spermatozoa
The midportion of the fallopian tube is the rendezvous point for egg and sperm. Explanations of how spermatozoa ascend from the vagina into the uterus, and from the uterus to the meeting place in the tube, have shifted as knowledge of the subject has increased and clarified. A hundred years ago a spermatozoon was believed [...]
The Pregnancy Initial Visit
As soon as you think or know you are pregnant, you should contact a specific pregnancy care provider-see the preceding pages. The initial pregnancy visit should occur sometime in the first 12 weeks-or first trimester-of pregnancy. Optimally, it should take place when you are about 6 to 8 weeks pregnant. If you haven’t had a [...]
What is Reproduction?
The complex, seemingly magical process of fashioning a baby is by now quite well understood. And this process is a far cry from the primordial beginnings of life on this planet. The earliest life was probably a single celled organism that reproduced by division into two similar organisms. And when those two organisms had grown [...]
Folic Acid used for Prevention of Birth Defects
Recent research has shown that folic acid type of B vitamin-is important in the prevention of several types of birth defects called neurol tube defects. The neural tube forms the brain and spinal cord. Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, occur during the early weeks of fetal development if the tube doesn’t close completely. [...]