embryology Flashcards
what is the ampula of the fallopian tube
the area where the fertilisation occurs
what is cleavage
this is when the zygote undergoes proliferation from one cell to sixteen
what is the marula
the hollow ball of 16 + cells formed after cleavage. the cells surround the outer edge of the circle, leaving a cavity in the middle
what are the cells of the marula called
blastomeres
what is blastulation
the process of when the marula becomes the blastocyst
what is the structure of the blastocyst
an outer cell mass, and inner cell mass that is compacted to one side, and an empty cavity with fluid in it
what does the outer cell mass of the blastocyst become
the trophoblast
what does the inner cell mass of the blastocyst become
the embryoblast
what does the trophoblast differentiate to become
cytotrophoblast and syncitiotrophoblast
what does the cytotrophoblast and syncitiotrophoblast develop into
the placenta
how does the blastocyst enter the uterus and stay there
as cleavage is occuring, the structure slowly moves along the fallopian tube and then into the uterine canal, and with the use of integrins and selectins it is able to hook onto the endometrium
what is the cytotrophoblast
these are the well defined cell margins of the trophoblasts
what happens to the cytotrophoblast
it begins to proliferate and distintigrate the cell membrane of the blastocyst to form a fluid from the nuclei and cytoplasm of the cells.
what is the synctium
pool of fluid containing the nuclei and fused cytoplasm of the cytotrophoblast cells
what is the synctiotrophoblast
the protrusion from the blastocyst created by the cytotrophoblast that contains the nuclei and cytoplasm of the cells. no well defined cell borders
what does the syncitiotrophoblast release
hydrolytic enzymes into the uterine lining
what does the syncitiotrophoblast become confluent with
the maternal blood vessels, and this allows the embryo to receive nutrients and oxygen from the mother - this is the development of the placenta
what is produced by the syncitiotrophoblast to prevent the endometrial lining from shedding, which in turn allows the embryo to continue living
beta human chorionic gonadotropin
what does beta human chorionic gonadotropin do
stimulates the corpus luteum to produce progesterone
what happens if progesterone levels drop
the blood vessels of the uterine lining start spasming, and they then rupture. the cells in the lining become nectrotic and shed
what does shedding of the uterine lining cause
shedding of the embryo
what is the bilaminar disc
this is formed from the embryoblast, and composes of two layers sandwhiched together. the top layer is epiblast and the lower is hypoblast. above the epiblast is the amniotic cavity, and below the epiblast is the yolk sac
what is the function of the yolk sac
help with red blood cell production and provide nutrients
what is the prochordal plate
this is where the epiblast and hypoblast are connected, and provides orientation of the anatomy as it is located at the cranial aspect of the embryo