Between 1957 and 1961, many pregnant women took thalidomide to alleviate morning sickness; this drug disrupted a(n) _____ period of prenatal development.

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Thalidomide disrupted a critical period of prenatal development, which is a specific window of time during which a particular aspect of fetal development is particularly vulnerable to the effects of teratogens (environmental agents that can cause birth defects). Early and late periods of prenatal development are more general terms that do not refer specifically to vulnerable periods. Sensitive periods refer to times when environmental experiences have a particularly strong and lasting effect on development, which is not what happened in this case.

Between 1957 and 1961, Many Pregnant Women Took Thalidomide to Alleviate