Question

The fetal heart starts contracting at:

• A. 10-12 days
• B. 10-12 weeks
• C. 3-5 weeks
• D. 3-5 months

Hint:

The heart is the first organ to function - around day 22 to 23.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: The embryonic heart tube forms and fuses in the third week of development. Spontaneous rhythmic contractions begin around day 22 to 23 of gestation, before the chambers are fully partitioned.
Step 2: Converting this to the option scale, a start at roughly 23 days falls within the 3 to 5 week window, so option (c) is correct.
Step 3: 10 to 12 days (option a) is far too early - the heart tube has not yet formed. 10 to 12 weeks (option b) and 3 to 5 months (option d) are much too late; by these times the heart is already beating and well developed. Hence 3 to 5 weeks is the answer.