Embryology Flashcards
What is cleavage?
The first mitotic division of the zygote, occurs 30 hours after fertilisation
Where does fertilisation occur?
Ampulla of Fallopian tube
What is the structure and function of the zone pellucid a
Prevents polyspermy. It is a glycoprotein shell that breaks down when it is a blastocyst
What is the process that leads to the formation of the blastocyst
Compaction
What is the optimum site for implantation
High on the posterior uterine wall
State two complications arising from implantation not occurring in the correct place.
Ectopic pregnancy - implantation in Fallopian tube or less commonly in the abdomen.
Placenta praevia - implantation low in the uterus, placenta can haemorrhage during delivery
When are the pre embryonic, embryonic and fetal stages?
Pre embryonic is weeks one and two. Embryonic is weeks three to eight. Fetal is nine to thirty eight.
What are the two cells that are present following cleavage called?
Blastomeres
When are the cells totipotent
When in the morula
At what stage do you introduce the fertilised ovum in IVF?
The four or eight cell stage, to increase likelihood of implantation
Give the names of the two distinct cell masses and the cavity in a blastocyst
Embryoblast (inner cell mass), trophoblast(outer cell mass), blastocyst cavity.
After compaction, are the cells of the blastocyst totipotent?
No, they are pluripotent. The inner cell mass will go on to form the tissues of the embryo, and the outer cell mass will go on to form the support structures.
What are the two layers of the bilaminar disk?
What are the corresponding cavities?
What cavity do they sit in?
What layers does the outer cell mass differentiate into?
Epiblast and hypoblast.
Amniotic cavity and yolk sac
Chorionic cavity
Cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast.
Why can PV bleeding occur at implantation, and why does this make it difficult to date a pregnancy?
The blastocyst releases enzymes to break down the endometrium. The endometrium is highly vascular, so bleeding can occur. This can be confused with a menstrual period, so the pregnancy might not be accurately dated
Where does the blastocyst implant
Uterine stroma
How does the support system of the blastocyst change following implantation?
Histiotrophic (simple diffusion) to haemotrophic (blood flow established). Lacunae in syncytiotrophoblast fuse with maternal capillaries.
What pushes the cytotrophoblast membrane away from the primitive yolk sac membrane?
What does this go on to form?
Acellular extraembryonic reticulum.
Extraembryonic mesoderm, then as spaces around it combine to form chorionic cavity, it forms connecting stalk which is the future umbilical cord
How does the secondary yolk sac form?
The hypoblast produces cells that migrate and form a smaller cavity within primitive yolk sac (exocoelomic cavity)
During its formation large parts of the primitive yolk sac pinch off to form exocoelomic cysts
What lines the chorionic cavity?
Chorionic plate -extraembryonic mesoderm.
What proportion of zygotes are lost in the first 2-3 weeks?
50% Pregnancy often undiagnosed
How many diagnosed pregnancies miscarry?
What proportion of women suffer recurrent miscarriages?
15%
1%
What effect does the notochord have on overlying ectoderm?
Directs conversion to neuro ectoderm. The effect is limited by how far molecules diffuse.
What is the next structure to form once the ectoderm has been induced to form neuroEctoderm?
The edges of the neural plate curl out of the plane and form the neural tube.
From which part of the mesoderm do the somites form? In which way does their formation proceed?
Paraxial mesoderm (cells close to the midline and neural tube) Cephalocaudally.
What is a somite?
How can they be used to age an embryo?
How many form, and how many are left once some have regressed?
Initially exist as a ball of mesoderm, then undergo epithelization to form donut shape around a small lumen.
Appear regularly at 3 per day so can accurately age an embryo by the number of somites.
42-44, regresses to 31.