relations begins to develop; and heart begins to beat more strongly.
Second Trimester: The head develops more actively than the rest of
the body; eyes respond to light; key organs mature; fetus reacts to
music and loud noise; arms and legs are moving strongly enough so
you can feel them; fetus can hear and the ability to learn signifi cantly
increases; signs of memory and the ability to respond to various stimuli
are apparent; and music has a calming effect while harsh sounds have
an agitating effect.
Third Trimester: The nervous system has matured and becomes fully
formed; brain enters a rapid growth phase; movements are more
coordinated and muscles are stronger; fetus moves to the rhythm of
music; sight has developed and response to light is evident; movement
is less frequent but stronger toward the end of the ninth month; and
growth and development continue until birth.
HOW YOUR UNBORN BABY'S BRAIN DEVELOPS
Your baby's brain begins developing almost immediately and by the
fi fth month the number of brain cells your baby will have for the rest of
her life is determined. From this point forward, her brain develops by
increasing the size and complexity of the cells already created. Around
the eighth month, your unborn baby's brain changes signifi cantly. At this
time, it doubles in weight and the connections between the brain cells,
known as synapses, become even more complex.
The following is the structure of a brain cell:
Dendrites: receive messages from the body
Cell body: decides whether to send the message received from the
dendrites or to store it
Axons: transmit messages received from the cell body
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