The documentary 'Life's Greatest Miracle,' produced by Nova and PBS, provides a detailed visual account of the stages of prenatal development and the process of birth.

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Prenatal development encompasses the orderly and delicate sequence of growth from a single-cell structure to birth. This crucial period of human development is typically divided into three main stages: germinal, embryonic, and fetal.

Prenatal Development

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

There are three stages of prenatal development:
1. Germinal Stage
2. Embryonic Stage
3. Fetal Stage 

Stages of Prenatal Development 

Life's Greatest Miracle (Video Resource)

During each prenatal stage, there are many factors (e.g., genetic and environmental) that can affect one's development. These may include:
- Prenatal care
- Teratogens

Prenatal Influences

A pregnant individual is exposed to a substance known to interfere with the initial formation of major organs. Explain why this exposure would be significantly more likely to cause severe structural birth defects if it occurs during the first eight weeks of gestation compared to an exposure that occurs during the final three months of pregnancy.

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