Andrology, Embryology & Placental Pathology Flashcards
What is andrology?
- Branch of physiology and medicine dealing with diseases and conditions specific to men
- Sperm
- Reproductive Medicine: Post-vasectomy/ infertility
Post vascetomy. Post-vascetomy sample conditions
Sperm count checked to ensure vascetomy has wprked.
Sample conditions:
Semen sample received within 60 minutes of production
Collected directly into the container
No ejaculation within the previous 48 hours
Two clear samples required
Infertility
- Determines whether difficulties in conceiving may relate to the male.
- Sample conditions: same as for post vascetomy but with addedd stress that condoms (as they contain spermicide) and similar must not be used.
- an analysis of sperm as well as a count is perofmed in cytology
Assessment criteria for male fertility
-semen volume: 1.5 ml or more
-pH: 7.2 or more
-sperm concentration: 15 million spermatozoa per ml or more
-total sperm number: 39 million spermatozoa per ejaculate or more
total motility (percentage of progressive motility and non‑progressive motility): 40% or more motile or 32% or more with progressive motility
-vitality: 58% or more live spermatozoa
- sperm morphology (percentage of normal forms): only 4% or more to be considered fertile,
Azoospermia
- Lack of sperm in semen:
- canbe Pretesticular, testicular, post-testicular, unknown
- can be caused by reproductive duct obstruction or by issue in testies ( non obstructive genetic mutations, hormonal issues)
-Biopsy may be needed to diagnose - Treatment can be resection of tubes/ catheter
- Biopsy may enable sperm extraction
What is Embryology?
What trimester is the mebryonic stage
- Branch of biology and medicine concerned with the study of embryos and their development.
- Embryology id the 1st trimester: embryonic stage lasts from about the third week of pregnancy until the eighth week of pregnancy.
- 2nd and 3rd trimesters are foetal development
Major stages of Embryology
Blastocyst formation
Implantation
Gastrulation
Neurulation
What is a blastocyst?
- a cluster of dividing cells made by a fertilized egg
- early stage of an embryo.
Blastocyst formation - Early blastocyst
Trophoblasts form outer structure, builds placenta
Inner cells differentiate into germ layers
Blastocyst formation - post-fertilisation
post fertilisation - 1/2 weeks
four cell types (three germ layers and neural cells)
cell types grouped - no layers
Implantation - Requirements
Uterus must be receptive : Correct point in cycle
- Linked with ovulation (usually 7-9 days after ovulation)
Implantation - What happens
Blastocyst sheds zona pellucida
Microvilli on trophoblasts adhere to endometrium
Trophoblasts differentiate into syncytiotrophoblasts
What are trophoblasts? When are they formed? What do they do?
- cells forming the outer layer of a blastocyst, which provides nutrients to the embryo.
- develops into a large part of the placenta.
- formed during the first stage of pregnancy
- the first cells to differentiate from the fertilized egg.
What is Gastrulation? What is the blastula? What is the grastula?
- early developmental process
- embryo transforms from a one-dimensional layer of epithelial cells - called a blastula,
- reorganizes into a multilayered and multidimensional structure - called the gastrula
What is neurulation?
Formation of the neural tube that occurs in two stages (primary and secondary)
