Embryology Flashcards
Overview of Pregnancy - Stages of baby over the course of the weeks, noting level of cell differentiation
Weeks 1-2: Blastocyst (Totipotent - 2nd embryo -> Pluripotent - not another embryo)
Weeks 3-8: Embryo - organ systems develop
Weeks 9-36: Fetus (Multipotent - can differentiate only within tissue type)
Female Reproductive Anatomy (Define ovary, uterine tube, endometrium, myometrium, cervix)
Ovary: where egg cells (ova) made/stored
Uterine Tube: not physically connected to ovary, where fertilization occurs (at distal third), fimbriae needed to catch ova
Endometrium: inner uterine layer where development occurs (loose connective tissue + epithelium)
Myometrium: smooth muscle layer
Cervix: “neck” of uterus
Describe the process of ovulation
30 primordial developing follicles: all will die except the one to be released (becomes most mature - epithelium develops from simple squamous to stratified)
Released ovum one of largest cells in body, released with follicular cells/fluid
Fimbriae @end of uterine tube envelop ovary and help guide ovum to tube for fertilization
What are the stages of the conceptus during the first week of pregnancy?
Day 1: Zygote - fertilized egg
2, 4, 8 cell stages as pushed along uterine tube (via SM contraction)
Day 4: Morula: “berry” solid sphere
Day 5: Blastocyst: cavity forms (inner cell mass (will become embryo), blastocyst cavity, trophoblast (outer simple squamous epithelium)
Day 6: reaches uterine cavity and IMPLANTATION BEGINS
Describe basis of implantation and sites of ectopic pregnancy
Implantation: blastocyst penetrates + embeds in epithelium of endometrium (back wall ~2/3 up)
Tubal: most common, dangerous b/c tube cannot expand
Abdominal: Fimbriae fail to envelop ovary and catch ovum, placenta may still form and pregnancy may still be viable - HOWEVER organ movement can endanger fetus and fetal growth can cause internal bleeding/damage to mother
Ovarian and Cervical Pregnancies may occur
Changes to the blastocyst + endometrium during implantation (when does this happen?)
BEGINNING OF WEEK 2
Uterine glands dilate with glycogen rich fluid to nourish blastocyst via diffusion
Trophoblast of blastocyst INVADES endometrium + differentiates
Syncytiotrophoblast: outer trophoblast, finger-like projections into endometrial wall (synctium - cytoplasmic mass many nuclei)
Cytotrophoblast: inside layer of trophoblast
Other names for endometrium
Uterine mucosa = uterine decidua
Changes to Blastocyst during Week 2
- invading trophoblast differentiates to syncytiotrophoblast + cytotrophoblast
- inner cell mass differentiates to hypoblast (future endoderm) + cavitates, forming amniotic cavity (differentiates to epiblast, future ectoderm)
- Yolk sac develops, contiguous with hypoblast
- Bilayer embryonic disk (Hypoblast + Epiblast)
- Appearance of extra-embryonic mesoderm: outside embryo, cavitates to form extra-embryonic coelem
- thin coating of extra-embryonic mesoderm results in formation of chorion, yolk sac proper, and amnion proper
3 Compenents of Endometrium during placenta formation
Decidua basalis: maternal component, source of blood, engaged w/villous chorion
Decidua capsularis: “bag w/chorion + amnion”
Decidua parietalis: uninvolved uterine musoca
Three components of Placenta
Placenta: chorionic villi bathed in maternal blood from decidua basalis
- Syncytiotrophoblast: outside lining, directly engages with decidua basalis
- Cytotrophoblast: middle layer
- Mesenchyme: core, coating that gives rise to connective tissue + blood vessels
Anchoring villi not covered by syntrophoblast (span thickness of placenta), cytotrophoblastic shell anchors villous chorion to decidua basalis
Changes from early placental membrane to late placental membrane
Early: Synciotrophoblast, Cytotrophoblast, connective tissue, endothelium of mother’s blood vessels
Late: Synciotrophoblast, endothelium (both share same basal lamina)
cytrotrophoblast disappears as vessels move closer to maternal blood
How do DZ and MZ twins form?
DZ - 2 zygotes, 2 fertilizations, 2/3 of all twins DZ (2 chorions, 2 placentas, 2 amnions)
MZ - 65% inner cell mass division in 1 blastocyst (35% earlier division) [1 chorion, 1 placenta, 2 amnions due to shared trophoblast]
What do the Primitive Node and Streak do?
Week 3: GASTRULATION
Node/streak originate from ectoderm thickening
Node: contains primitive pit, towards head/cranially
Streak: source of intraembryo mesoderm, contains primitive groove, towards tail/caudal
Both give off cells to make MESODERM!
Gives rise to midline notochord + streak mesoderm elsewhere (doesn’t invade oral/cloacal membrane)
Intraembryonic Mesoderm Condenses to form what?
- Notochord (medial) - vertebral disk pulposis, induces neurulation
- Paraxial Mesoderm - somites for bone, muscle, connective tissue for back/body wall
- Intermediate Mesoderm - small early, forms kidneys/gonads
- Lateral Plate Mesoderm - future coelem, body wall/cavities/gut wall
Somatopleure - near ectoderm
Splanchnopleure - near endoderm
Additional mesenchyme - loose connective tissue between these epithelial mesoderm columns and ectoderm/endoderm
What does the absence of amniotic fluid mean?
Amniotic fluid = fetal urine
no amniotic fluid = no kidney formation = no formation of intermediate mesoderm = improper gastrulation