Prenatal development
process in which an embryo and later fetus develops during gestation of a viviparous animal
Prenatal development (from Latin natalis 'relating to birth') involves the development of the embryo and of the fetus during a viviparous animal's gestation. Prenatal development starts with fertilization, in the germinal stage of embryonic development, and continues in fetal development until birth. The term "prenate" is used to describe an unborn offspring at any stage of gestation.
In human pregnancy, prenatal development is also called antenatal development. The development of the human embryo follows fertilization, and continues as fetal development. By the end of the tenth week of gestational age, the embryo has acquired its basic form and is referred to as a fetus. The next period is that of fetal development where many organs become fully developed. This fetal period is described both topically (by organ) and chronologically (by time) with major occurrences being listed by gestational age.
The very early stages of embryonic development are the same in all mammals, but later stages of development, and the length of gestation varies.
Terminology
In the human:
Different terms are used to describe prenatal development, meaning development before birth.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Prenatal development” is process in which an embryo and later fetus develops during gestation of a viviparous animal. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Prenatal, development and process, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “process in which an embryo and later fetus develops during gestation of a viviparous animal” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2297155. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Prenatal development” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.