P1.
During a person’s life there are many different stages to go through. Some people may not experience all life stages, for example, if a person were to die prematurely. Regardless of this, there are 8 life stages that have been identified in which a person develops. These are as follows:
Conception
Pregnancy
Infancy (0-3 years)
Childhood (4-9 years)
Adolescence (10-18 years)
Adulthood (19-65 years)
Older Adulthood (65+ years)
Final stages of life (variable)
The ways in which a person develops in each of these stages differ, but most life stages consist of a person developing physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. These are the four development types identified by health and social care professionals. Below, I have detailed how a person develops during each life stage.
The first life stage is Conception. Conception is the shortest life stage in which a male and female engage in sexual intercourse. Sperm is then released into the female and makes its way to the ovum where they fuse together in the fallopian tube. The cells then continue to multiply and create and embryo.
The second life stage is Pregnancy. During pregnancy; intellectual, social and emotional development does not occur. Pregnancy consists of only the physical development of an embryo and foetus and usually lasts for 40 weeks. At week 5 an embryo’s heart will start to beat and by 10 weeks the heart is completely developed. By 12 weeks its vocal chords, brain and eyelids are fully formed and the foetus can feel pain. At 15 weeks the foetus is 5½ inches long and approximately 6oz in weight. Eyebrows, eyelashes and fine hair are present and the foetus can grasp with its hands and kick. At week 20, the foetus can hear and recognise its mother’s voice. It has fingernails and fingerprints and could survive if born prematurely. At around week 24 of the pregnancy, the foetus will begin to practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. Between...