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Class 12 Biology (India)
Course: Class 12 Biology (India) > Unit 3
Lesson 7: Parturition and LactationParturition and lactation review
Childbirth (parturition), oxytocin, and lactation.
This article briefly reviews the processes of childbirth (parturition) and lactation.
Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| parturition | childbirth, or delivery of fetus from the womb |
| lactation | production of milk by mammary glands |
| oxytocin | hormone that induces uterine contractions |
What is parturition?
Babies sometimes mysteriously show up overnight in cartoons or movies, often dropped off by a (remarkably strong) stork. How does pregnancy actually result in the arrival of a child?
Parturition, or childbirth, is the process by which the uterus expels the fetus from the mother's body. You might have heard terms like 'water breaking', or 'dilation' (especially if you like watching medical dramas). Briefly, these are the steps involved in parturition :
- the amniotic sac surrounding the baby ruptures (water breaking), signalling onset of labor.
- the cervix dilates, or expands, to allow the baby to move down and out of the uterus.
- the fetus and placenta are thought to send chemical signals to the maternal pituitary, which releases oxytocin to induce uterine contractions.
- stronger contractions of the uterus trigger further release of oxytocin, and so on, until the force of the contractions expels the baby (and shortly after, the placenta) from the birth canal.
Let's play doctor.
Lactation
During later stages of pregnancy, the mother's mammary glands undergo hormonal and physiological changes that induce production of milk, or lactation.
Breastfeeding allows the mother to pass on antibodies to the newborn through colostrum, or the milk produced immediately after delivery.
You have one last patient to see before you're done for the day!
Want to join the conversation?
What is colostrum(2 votes)- first breast milk produced by the mother after birth(1 vote)