Extensive Reading-Book C Unit 26 (E)

absorb

to soak up
The flowers absorbed all the water in the vase.

cell

the basic of living things
Our bodies are made up of many cells.

constitute

to make up
Giving advice to young teens constituted most of his time at work.

contraction

a pain, often muscular, esp. starting the birth of a baby
The doctor told her to come to the hospital when her contractions were 10 minutes apart.

dilate

to make larger
The pupils dilate in the dark.

distinct

easy to see
They were able to see the baby's distinct features through the ultrasound.

embryo

the early stage of growth before birth
When they cracked open the egg, they saw the embryo of the chicken inside.

fallopian tube

one of two tubes connecting the uterus with the ovaries
The woman's difficulty getting pregnant was caused by a blockage in her fallopian tube.

fertilization

the union of egg and sperm that starts the development of new life
In vitro fertilization is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the woman's womb.

fetus

the developed embryo in humans and other mammals
When the couple did an ultrasound, they were able to see the fetus.

implant

to put an organ, group of cells, or device into the body in a medical operation
The doctor implanted a device into the man's skin which would help him stop smoking.

ingest

to eat
If you ingest any poison, you must call 911 immediately.

malnourished

poorly fed
When the police found the children, they were badly malnourished.

prenatal

while a baby is in the mother's womb
The fetus did not thrive because the woman did not receive adequate prenatal care.

series

a group of similar things or events
She likes to read books that are in a series.

survival

the ability to continue to exist or live
The team's survival in the tournament depended on their defensive tactics.

traverse

travel over
The climbers traversed over the rocky mountains.

trimester

any of the three three-month periods that a human pregnancy is divided into
The woman felt very good during her second trimester of her pregnancy.

uterus

female organ where a baby develops
The doctors had to remove the woman's uterus, and she could no longer get pregnant.

womb

the part of a woman's body where a baby can grow
Although her daughter did not grow in her womb, she loved her all the more.