Chapter 12 Conception and Prenatal Development

Chapter 12  Conception and Prenatal Development

Complete Chapter Questions And Answers
 

Sample Questions

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which part of the mature sperm contains the male chromosomes?

a. The head of the sperm
b. The middle portion of the sperm
c. X-bearing sperm
d. The tail of the sperm

ANS: A
The head of the sperm contains the male chromosomes that will join the chromosomes of the
ovum. The middle portion of the sperm supplies energy for the tail’s whip-like action. If an
X-bearing sperm fertilizes the ovum, the baby will be female. The tail of the sperm helps
propel the sperm toward the ovum.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 197 OBJ: Integrated Process: Teaching-Learning
MSC: Client Needs: Physiologic Integrity

2. One of the assessments performed in the delivery room is checking the umbilical cord for

blood vessels. Which finding is considered within normal limits?
a. Two arteries and one vein
b. Two arteries and two veins
c. Two veins and one artery
d. One artery and one vein

ANS: A
The umbilical cord contains two arteries and one vein to transport blood between the fetus and
the placenta. Any option other than two arteries and one vein is considered abnormal and
requires further assessment.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 206 OBJ: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Physiologic Integrity

3. The purpose of the ovum’s zona pellucida is to

a. make a pathway for more than one sperm to reach the ovum.
b. allow the 46 chromosomes from each gamete to merge.
c. prevent multiple sperm from fertilizing the ovum.
d. stimulate the ovum to begin mitotic cell division.

ANS: C
Fertilization causes the zona pellucida to change its chemical composition so that multiple
sperm cannot fertilize the ovum. Each gamete (sperm and ovum) has only 23 chromosomes.
There will be 46 chromosomes when they merge. Mitotic cell division begins when the nuclei
of the sperm and ovum unite.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 195 OBJ: Integrated Process: Teaching-Learning

MSC: Client Needs: Physiologic Integrity

4. While teaching an early pregnancy class, the nurse explains that the morula is a

a. fertilized ovum before mitosis begins.
b. flattened disk-shaped layer of cells within a fluid-filled sphere.
c. double layer of cells that becomes the placenta.
d. solid ball composed of the first cells formed after fertilization.

ANS: D
The morula is so named because it resembles a mulberry. It is a solid ball of 12 to 16 cells that
develops after fertilization. The fertilized ovum is called the zygote. This is the embryonic
disk. It will develop into the baby. The placenta is formed from two layers of cells: the
trophoblast, which is the other portion of the fertilized ovum, and the decidua, which is the
portion of the uterus where implantation occurs.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension/Understanding
REF: p. 198 OBJ: Integrated Process: Teaching-Learning
MSC: Client Needs: Physiologic Integrity

5. The nursing faculty explains to students that the upper uterus is the best place for the fertilized

ovum to implant because it is here that the
a. placenta attaches most firmly.
b. developing baby is best nourished.
c. uterine endometrium is softer.
d. maternal blood flow is lower.

ANS: B
The uterine fundus is richly supplied with blood and has the thickest endometrium, both of
which promote optimal nourishment of the fetus. If the placenta attaches too deeply, it does
not easily detach after birth. Softness is not a concern with implantation; attachment and
nourishment are the major concerns. The blood supply is rich in the fundus, which allows for
optimal nourishment of the fetus.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension/Understanding
REF: p. 199 OBJ: Integrated Process: Teaching-Learning
MSC: Client Needs: Physiologic Integrity