Thalidomide, now banned for use as a sedative during pregnancy, was used in the early 1960s by many women in their first trimester of pregnancy. Some of these women gave birth to children with limb and organ deformities, suggesting that the drug most likely influenced ________.
A) early cleavage divisions
B) differentiation of bone tissue
C) morphogenesis
D) gastrulation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Thalidomide likely influenced morphogenesis, the process of forming the body's structures and organs during development. This is because the drug was taken during the critical period of embryonic development when these structures are forming. Thalidomide is not known to have an effect on early cleavage divisions, bone tissue differentiation, or gastrulation.

Thalidomide, Now Banned for Use as a Sedative During Pregnancy