Embryology Flashcards
What is the embryonic period?
First 8 weeks
During the 8 weeks what can be said about the organs?
They are all formed, but not developed
How long does it take the single fertilised egg to become a new human baby?
Normally 9 months
What is the conceptus stage?
Fertilisation to the end of week 3
What is the embryo stage?
Week 4 to week 8
What is the foetus stage?
Week 9 to birth
What is gametogenesis?
Germ cell formation
What two process take place during gametogenesis?
Oogenesis to oocyte (egg)
Spermatogenesis to spermatoza (sperm)
What is fertilisation?
The formation of the zygote
What is cleavage?
The period of rapid cell division
What forms after the Morula in cleavage?
Blastocyst
What is gastrulation?
The formation of the germ layers
What are the 3 germ layers?
Ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm
At what stage are the body axes (head end and tail end) established?
Gastrulation
What is morphogenesis?
Formation of the body plan (embryonic folding (tube within a tube)
What is organogenesis and what weeks does it occur?
Primordia of all organ systems (weeks 4 - 8)
During what period does growth and weight gain occur?
Foetal period
During what period do tissues mature and become functional?
Foetal period
What period does overt sexual differentiation occur in?
Foetal period
What period is bone laid down and connections made in the CNS?
Foetal period
Processes underlying development: What are the 6 primary processes?
Cell division - increase in number of cells
Apoptosis - programmed cell death
Differentiation - change in appearance; adoption of new functions
Cell attachment - physical linkages between cells creating tissues
Induction - ability of one cell type to cause another to differentiate
Cell migration - movement from one location to another
Processes underlying development: What are the 3 secondary processes?
Axis formation/polarity
Folding/rotation - entire embryo or structures within
Increases/decreases in mass/dimension
What are the two sub processes of the secondary process increaseing/decreasing mass and dimension?
- Expansion - hypertrophy and hyperplasia
2. Compaction - decrease in cell mass with decrease in dimension, increase in cell number with no increase in dimension.
What is hypertrophy?
Increase in dimension with no increase in cell number
What is hyperplasia?
Increase in cell number with an increase in dimension
What 3 factors control development?
Genetic
Epigenetic
Environment
Where is the site of fertilisation?
Ampulla
What are the 4 stages of fertilisation?
- Sperm binds in a human specific interaction with the zona pellucida glycoprotein
- Acrosomal enzymes released from sperm head; the sperm digests its way into egg
- Egg and sperm plasma membrane fuse and sperm contents enter the cell
- Sperm entry triggers cortical granule release in egg cortex triggering formation of fertilisation membrane, which is impenetrable to sperm
What does sperm penetration of the egg also trigger?
Completion of the second meiotic division that leads to the formation of the haploid gamete.
What does fusion of the male and female pronuclei restore?
The diploid number of chromosomes = zygote (day 0)
Once the zygote is formed what does it then undergo?
A series of mitotic divisions which subdivide the fertilised egg into many smaller daughter cells called blastomeres.
Up to what stage blastomeres are thought to be totipotent?
Up to the 8 cell stage
What process forms blastocysts?
Compaction
What is the outer layer of a blastocyst?
Zona pellucida
At what day will the zygote attach to the uterus wall?
5.5 to 6 days
Name the 3 layers of the uterus from external to internal?
Myometrium
Perimetrium
Endometrium
What part of the blastocyst gives rise to the embryo?
Inner cell mass
What do the remaining cells in the inner cell mass of a blastocyst form once some have given rise to the embryo?
The trophoblast
What contributes to the placenta?
The trophoblast
Where are embryonic stem cells derived from?
The inner cell mass of blastocyst
Where does the embryo hatch from?
The zona pellucida