Embryology Flashcards
What is the embryonic period?
First 8 weeks after fertilisation
What is the correct term for a baby from fertilisation to the end of Week 3?
Conceptus
Rarely used, so embryo also works
What is the correct term for a baby from Week 4 to Week 8?
Embryo
What is the correct term for a baby from Week 9 to Birth?
Foetus
What are the six phases of embryogenesis?
Gametogenesis Fertilisation Cleavage Gastrulation Morphogenesis Organogenesis
What occurs during gametogenesis?
Germ cell formation
Oogenesis = Oocyte (egg)
Spermatogenesis = Spermatoza (sperm)
What occurs during fertilisation?
Formation of the zygote
What is cleavage?
Period of rapid cell division
Formation of morula then blastocyst inside the zone pellucida
What occurs during gastrulation?
Formation of the germ layers
Ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm formed
Body axes established
What occurs during morphogenesis?
Formation of the body plan Embryonic folding (tube within a tube)
What occurs during organogenesis?
Primordial of all organ systems
All organs begin and continue to develop at the sam time
What occurs during the foetal period?
Growth and weight gain
Tissues mature and become functional
Overt sexual differentiation (at roughly 10 weeks)
Bone laid down, connections made in CNS
How does the zygote develop all the cells that make up the human body, despite using only a relatively small number of processes?
The processes interact with each other, producing more complex outcomes
What are the six Primary Processes?
Cell Division Apoptosis Differentiation Cell Attachment Induction Cell Migration
What occurs during cell division?
There is an increase in cell number
What occurs during apoptosis?
Programmed cell death
Allows cells to act as a scaffold for further growth before dying off when they are no longer needed (e.g. webbing between fingers)
What occurs differentiation?
Change in appearance/structure
Adoption of new functions (specialisation)
What occurs during cell attachment?
Physical/functional linkages between cells creating coherent assemblies (tissues)
What occurs during induction?
Ability of one cell type to cause another to differentiate
Some cells release proteins which react with the surrounding cells in a specific manner
What occurs during cell migration?
Movement form one location to another
What are the three Secondary Processes?
Axis formation/Polarity
Folding/Rotation
Changes in mass/dimension
Why is axis formation/polarity important?
Determines which way is up Cells need to know where they are in relation to each other and the embryo as a whole
Why is folding/rotation important?
Gives the embryo its 3D form
allows the formation of complex organ structures (e.g. heart, gut)
What changes in mass/dimension can occur?
Hypertrophy = Increase in dimension with no increase in cell number
Hyperplasia = Increase in cell number with an increase in dimension
Compaction =
Decrease in cell mass with decrease in dimension
OR
Increase in cel number with no increase in dimension
Which three factors control development?
Genetic
Epigenetic
Environment