Embryology Flashcards
Where abouts is the oocyte fertilised?
Ampulla
What is a fertilised oocyte called?
Zygote
When is the pre embryonic period from and til?
Fertilisation to the end of week 2 of pregnancy
When is the embryonic period from and til?
Start of week 3 to the end of week 8
How long is pregnancy?
38 weeks, plus 2 weeks since the last menstrual period
What does cleavage of the zygote form?
Morulla
What does compaction of the morulla form?
Blastocyst
What is implantation and when does it occur?
The process by which the pre embryo gains access to the maternal tissue and associated blood supply (day 6)
Where is the ideal site of implantation?
The posterior uterine wall
Define: zygote
The cell produce when an ovum is fertilised by a spermatozoan, contains all the genetic information for a new individual
Define: cleavage
Successive divisions of the zygote to form a morulla. The first division into two masses produces blastomeres, 30 hours after fertilisation
Define: zona pellucida
The glycoprotein membrane surrounding the plasma membrane of an oocyte to prevent polyspermy, present before implantation
Define: morula
The result of cleavage, a ball of totipotent identical cells
Define: Ovary
Female reproductive organ that produces oocytes and steroid hormones in a regular cycle, in response to anterior pituitary hormones (FSH/LH)
Define: fallopian tube
tube which eggs travel along from the ovaries to the uterus. Eggs are fertilised in the ampulla
Define: uterus
Female reproductive organ where the blastocyst embres and growth of the embryo occurs.
Define: blastocyst
forms after compaction, as the inner and outer cell masses form, and the blastocyst cavity develops
Define: trophoblast
the outer cell mass of the blastocyst, which will later form support structures for the embryo
Define: embryoblast
The innter cell mass, will later become the bilaminar disk
Define: implantation
The attachment of the blastocyst to the wall of the uterus at day 6/7
Define:Cytotrophoblast
an inner layer of mononucleated cells in the trophiblast, placental membrane around the yolk sac
Define: syncytiotrophoblast
An outer mononucleated zone of the trophoblast,cells that invate maternal sinusoids (irregular blood vessels) resulting in uteroplacental circulation
When does cleavage occur?
30 hours after fertilisation
what does the first cleavage result in?
2 blastomeres
What day does the morula form in?
Day 3
What happens on day 4?
Compaction
Compaction makes the cells pluripotent, what does this mean?
The cells have the capacity to become one of many cell types, they are somewhat differentiated
What happens on day 5?
Hatching
What is hatching?
The blastocyst hatches from the zona pellucida, it is no longer constrained and is free to enlarge and implant on the uterine surface
When does implantation begin?
Day 6 to 7
What type of epithelium is the endometrial surface?
Simple columnar epithelium
How many cells at the implantation stage? How many will make the embryo and how many will make the foetal membrane?
107 cells. 8 will make the embryo, 99 will make the foetal membrane
How to remember week 2
The week of 2s
What has priority out of the embryo and placenta at the earlier stages?
The placenta
What forms from the embryoblast?
Epiblast (inner) and hypoblast (outer)
What forms from the trophoblast?
Syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast
What does the epiblast form?
THe amniotic cavity