The Beginning Of Life

You do not have to know the detailed physiology of conception and pregnancy to prepare for motherhood. But it does help to have some knowledge on the subject. At the time of conception the sperm cell from the father unites with the egg cell (or the ovum) of the mother to form a zygote(or a fertilized egg). The cells of the zygote, multiply rapidly by cell division and develop into the foetus. Very rarely, there could be some malformation in the foetus. It will be difficult to understand and accept what the doctor is telling you, but you must be prepared to face any situation.

The baby takes its charactereristics from the mother, the father and from the two families. They are specific rules which operate in acquiring hereditary characteristics. Some features like dark skin are dominant, so if one parent is dark complexioned there are greater chances of the baby being dark complexioned.

Here is a chart which tells you more about dominant and recessive genes. If one parent transmits any of these dominant genes and the other parent transmits the recessive gene, the child, will tend to possess the dominant traits in the normal course.

Dominant Gene           Recessive Gene

Brown Eyes                 Blue, grey, green, or hazel eyes

Curly Hair                   Straight Hair

Normal Hair                Baldness

Dark Hair                    Light Hair

Dark Skin                    Fair Skin

Tallness                     Shortness

Thick Lips                   Thin Lips

Roman Nose               Straight Nose

Normal Vision              Myopia

Normal Hearing           Congenital Deafness