Embryology Flashcards
How many oocytes does a female 20 week foetus have
6-7 million
How many oocytes does a female have at birth?
1-2 million
How many oocytes does a female have at puberty?
300,000
When after fertilisation does the morula appear?
Day 4
When after fertilisation does the blastocyst appear?
Day 5
From what do the primordial germ cells arise?
Wall of the yolk sac in the 2nd week of development
What do primordial germ cells form in females?
Oogonia
What do primordial germ cells form in males?
Spermatogonia
When do the primordial germ cells migrate to occupy the gonadal ridges?
Week 6 of development
What happens to oogonia in the fetal period?
Oogonia proliferate by mitosis and differentiate into primary oocytes, however, these oocytes are then suspended in prophase I (I, i.e. the first meiotic division) from birth until puberty
At what stage of meiosis are oogonia suspended in from birth until puberty?
Prophase I
What causes the arrest in meiosis experienced by the primary oocytes during the foetal period?
Oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI) - a peptide produced by the follicular cells surrounding a primary oocyte
What are the layers of the follicle that surround the primary oocyte?
1) Theca interna - the inner vascular and secretory layer
2) Theca externa - the outer fibrous layer
Where do the spermatogonia lie dormant in males, and until when do they remain dormant?
Spermatogonia remain dormant in the seminiferous tubules in the testes until puberty
How soon after ovulation does fertilisation take place?
12-24 hours after ovulation
What the summarised stages of fertilisation?
1) Sperm activation and penetration of the corona radiata
2) Attachment and penetration of the zona pellucida
3) Fusion of the oocyte and sperm cell membranes
4) Completion of meiosis of the oocyte and formation of the pronuclei
5) Formation of the zygote
What process do sperm need to undergo to be capable of penetrating the ovum?
Capacitation
What happens during capacitation?
Loss of glycoprotein and cholesterol from the acrosomal membrane by secretions from the cervix and uterine tube
How do sperm penetrate the corona radiata?
By the acrosomal reaction, releasing hyaluronidase
How do sperm penetrate the zona pellucida?
Also by release of the acrosomal enzymes - esterases, acrosin and neuraminidase
What is the zona reaction?
When the sperm binds with the zona pellucida
What is the point of the zona reaction?
It changes the physical properties of the zona pellucida to prevent attachment/penetration of any further sperm
What causes the zona reaction?
The release of lysosomal enzymes from the cortical granules into the privitelline space
When does the oocyte resume its second meiotic division?
Soon after entry of the spermatozoa
How do you know that the second meiotic division has occurred?
The 2nd polar body is visible down the microscope
What is the zygote?
The zygote is the product of complete fertilisation/ It occurs when the male and female pronuclei have met, their membranes broken down and their chromosomes mixed to create a single cell - this single cell is the zygote
What are the components of the blastocyst at day 5?
Trophoblast = outer cell layer, from which foetal component of placenta will form Embryoblast = inner cell mass, from which embryo will form Blastocele = cavity inside the blastocyst
How many days after fertilisation does implantation occur?
Approx. 6
When does the trophoblast differentiate, and what does it differentiate into?
Week 2
Cytotrophoblast = inner, single layer of cells
Syncytiotrophoblast = outer layer. = more invasive but has not yet invaded the endometrial blood vessels
Decidualisation if the uterine stroma forms the maternal component of the placenta (separate reaction)
When does the embryoblast/inner cells mass of the blastocyst differentiate, and what into?
Also week 2
2 layers - the epiblast and the hypoblast. These form the bilaminar disc
Where does the amniotic cavity form?
In the epiblast layer, developing at approx. 8 weeks. The amniotic cavity is filled with amniotic fluid.
What does the hypoblast (of the bilaminar disc) develop into?
The exocoelomic membrane is derived from the hypoblast and forms the primary yolk sac.
What is the state of the trophoblast by day 12?
The syncytiotrophoblast have formed lacunae which are responsible for derive ng nutritional support from the endometrium.
What is the state of the trophoblast by day 13?
The cytotrophoblast forms primary chronionic villi - finger like protrusions into the lacunae of the syncytiotrophoblast.
When does the primary yolk sac become the secondary yolk sac?
Day 13
What is the extra-embryonic mesoderm?
A connecting stalk between the embryo and cytotrophoblast. It is the forerunner of the umbilical cord.
What is the state of the trophoblast by day 14?
The syncytiotrophoblast begins to produce Beta-hCG to maintain the corpus luteum so that the corpus luteum can maintain the thickness of the endometrium.
What is the name of the process by which three germ layers are formed?
Gastrulation
What are the names of the three germ layers?
Epiblast —> 1) Ectoderm
From the ectoderm you also get the 2) Mesoderm
Hypoblast —> 3) Endoderm
When do the three germ layers develop?
3rd week
What forms from the ectoderm?
1) Surface ectoderm - epidermis, tooth enamel, lens, internal ear
2) Neural tube - CNS; retina; posterior pituitary
3) Neural crest - facial bones, adrenal medulla, cranial and sensory ganglia
What forms from the mesoderm?
1) Paraxial mesoderm - skeletal muscles of trunk and limbs, skeleton (except skull), dermis, connective tissue
2) Intermediate mesoderm - urogenital system
3) Lateral plate mesoderm - smooth muscles and connective tissue, viscera
What forms from the endoderm?
Gut tube and liver
After the development of the 3rd germ layer - i.e. the mesoderm - at what points do the ectoderm and endoderm remain in contact?
1) Prochordal plate - at the cephalic end of the disc —> becoming the buccopharyngeal membrane
2) Cloachal plate - at the caudal end of the disc —> becoming the cloachal membrane
What is the primitive streak?
A groove like depression in the bilaminar disk that forms at the caudal end in week 2, before it begins the deepen and extend in week 3 at the three germ layers develop
Where is the primitive node?
At the cephalic end of the primitive streak
What develops from the cells of the primitive node?
The notochordal plate, which then folds to form the notochord, which then underlies the future neural tube to ultimately form the nuceli pulposi (centres) of the intervertebral discs of the vertebral column
What is the name of the process that forms the brain and spinal cord?
Neurulation
What are the stages of neurulation?
Day 19 - neural plate formed from ectoderm, rounded up to form neural folds
Day 20 - neural plate deepens to form the neural groove, from which you get the neural tube
Where do neural crests form?
At the edge of the neural tube where the neuro-ectoderm is continues with the surface ectoderm
What is the connection between the yolk sac and the gut?
Vitello-intestinal (vitelline) duct.
Which develops first, the urinary system or the genital system?
Urinary BEFORE genital
Where do the urogenital ridges develop?
In the mesoderm, either side of the aorta
What are the different parts of the urogenital ridges?
Nephrogenic cord - develops into urinary system
Gonadal ridge - develops into genital system
What forms from endoderm?
Stomach Intestines (mucosal layers) Colon (mucosal layers) Liver Pancreas Bladder Epithelial parts of trachea Lungs Pharynx Thyroid Parathyroid
What forms from intermediate meosderm?
Kidneys
Gonads
What forms from paraxial mesoderm?
Cartilage
Skeletal muscle
Dermis
What forms from lateral plate mesoderm?
Circulatory system (inc heart) and
Spleen
Gut wall