Life is a miracle in itself,
and its development is an unending wave of awe. We all know it starts
with the fusion of two tiny cells, but how it transforms into a unique
living individual is something beyond magical and nearly inconceivable.
We are a miracle of this beautiful gift of life, which has thrived for
centuries on end, flourishing into a world bursting with unique
differences. Every newborn child is proof that this life is infinitely
diverse, yet it all starts in the same wondrous way.
With the help of today's
advanced technology, we can appreciate how life begins in the
womb. Scroll through the stages of an embryo's development, starting at
the moment of conception, aided by these detailed photographs by Lennart
Nilsson, from his book A Chid Is Born.
See more of Lennart Nilsson's work on his website: www.lennartnilsson.com |
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Here's where it all begins: the sperm enters the Fallopian tube. |
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At the end of its journey for survival, it approaches the egg. So close. |
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When there's a lucky winner,
the egg is fertilized 12 to 24 hours after penetration. This is the
beginning of the whole complicated process, which leads to a new human
life. Did you know that the egg actually chooses the sperm? It's not
just a race, the egg decides which sperm is allowed in. |
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The fertilized egg travels
down the fallopian tube, while multiplying into cells. It then enters
the uterus and burrows into the uterine lining. From this point onwards,
the baby will start to form.
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After 3 to 4 weeks: From a ball of rapidly multiplying cells, a baby starts to take shape.
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After 5 to 6 weeks: Although
the size of a lentil, the baby starts to form shapes of nostrils, mouth
and eyes on its face. Intestines and lungs also start to develop.
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After 7 to 8 weeks:
You can see a human-like embryo, which is well protected in the fetal
sac. It is growing rapidly, and its little hands and feet start to show.
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After 9 to 10 weeks: Still the
size of a grape, but the basic human physiology is now in place. The
embryonic tail has now disappeared and the embryo's eyelids are
semi-shut. These eventually close completely.
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By 10 weeks, the most critical portion of the baby's development is complete. |
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After 12 weeks: The
baby now has tiny limbs with fine details, such as the nails. It can
now kick, stretch, bend its legs and hands, use its fingers to explore
the world, and make suckling movements with its mouth. Soon, the baby's
tiny fingers will have their own fingerprints.
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After 18 weeks:
The baby is now the size of a bell pepper. A lot more has started to
function in its body, such as the kidneys and the facial muscles. Bones
start to thicken and flexing of the limbs is possible. |
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After 20 weeks:
Smell, vision, touch, taste and hearing have now kicked in, the
digestive system can function and body movements slowly increase. The
first hairs start to grow on the head.
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After 6 to 7 months:
Now looking more like a newborn, the baby can inhale and exhale
amniotic fluid, preparing it for the first breath of air at birth. The
eyesight develops further, the muscles and lungs get stronger, and the
head grows.
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After 36 weeks: The
weight is increasing by around an ounce a day, the brain is maturing,
and only the last preparations are left for it to be ready to start its
life in the outside world, where so much awaits it.
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