Embryonic & Fetal Development Flashcards
Interval of prenatal development
From conception to birth
Interval of infancy and toddlerhood
From birth through 2 years
Interval of early childhood
3 to 5 years
Interval of middle childhood
6 to 11 years
Interval of adolescence
12 to 18 years
What is meant by gestation
Period of time required for full development of a fetus in utero
According to WHO, anyone under the age of ________ is a child
18
Example question :
When we say “28 weeks gestation” , what do we mean by that?
28 weeks in the womb
Or 28 weeks after conception
The term “gestare” means what
To carry or To bear
The first 2 weeks of prenatal development are referred to as the ___________________.
Pre-embryonic stage
When is the pre-embryonic stage ?
First 2 weeks of prenatal development
A developing human during weeks 3-8 is referred to as an ____________.
Embryo
A developing human from the 9th week of gestation until birth is referred to as a ____________.
Fetus
When is a developing human referred to as an embryo ?
Weeks 3-8 gestation
When is a developing human referred to as a fetus?
Week 9 gestation until birth
Embryonic stages of development are characterized by what
- cell division
- migration
- differentiation
True or false
By the end of the embryonic period, all the organ systems are structured in basic form.
True
Describe the function of the organs by the end of the embryonic period?
Either nonfunctional or semi-functional
Describe the stages of pre-embryonic development and
Unfertilized oocyte
Fertilized oocyte
Two-cell stage
Four-cell stage
Eight-cell stage
Morula (16 cells)
Blastocyst (70-100 cells)
After that we have implantation:
- zona pellucida sheds
- blastocyst implants in endometrium of uterus
A morula contains how many cells
16 cells
A blastocyst contains how many cells
+ describe its structure
70-100 cells
It is a sphere of cells surrounding a fluid-filled cavity called blastocoel. The outer layer consists of trophoblast cells that will form the placenta. The inner cell mass (embryoblast) will form the fetus eventually .
When does the process of implantation begin ? And what does it signal ?
Begins at the END of the 1st week.
It signals the END of the pre-embryonic stage of development
What happens during implantation ?
- The blastocyst adheres to the endometrium
THEN - the trophoblast secretes hCG
What is hCG and what is its role?
hCG is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
It is a hormone that directs the corpus luteum to survive, enlarge, and continue producing progesterone and estrogen to suppress menses (menstruation/period)
When is implantation complete ?
Implantation takes only a few days
It is complete by the middle of the SECOND week when the trophoblast has secreted enough hCG that is now detectable using an at-home urine pregnancy test. (+ve test)
Which hormone is detected in most pregnancy tests ?
hCG
Explain what is going on in this picture ?
When blastocyst implants :
- it digests the uterine mucosa
- the endometrium grows over and surrounds the embryo
- implanted embryo will continue to grow in endometrium
(WARNING: not in the notes but crucial for understanding).
During the second week around implantation, the inner cell mass (embryoblast) divides into the epiblast and hypoblast, forming a two-layered structure called ____________________.
Bilaminar disk
By the beginning of week 3 , what is the shape of the embryo
Oval-shaped disc ( due to the formation of the bilaminar disc)
What process takes place during the 3rd week of embryogenesis ?
Gastrulation
During which days does the inner cell mass divides into an epiblast and hypoblast ?
15-16th day
What occurs during gastrulation ?
The bilaminar disc is converted into 3 layers :
- ectoderm
- mesoderm
- endoderm
(The epiblast divides into these 3 layers)
NOTE: if you are wondering what happened to the hypoblast, it forms the yolk sac
Label
Endoderm layer becomes :
Mesoderm layer becomes:
Ectoderm layer becomes
What does the epiblast and hypoblast give rise to ?
Epiblast gives rise to embryo (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm)
Hypoblast gives rise to yolk sac
What process comes after gastrulation
Neurulation
Steps in neurulation
- Formation of a thickened area of cells called the neural plate
(The neural plate forms at the cranial end of the embryo, and grows in a cranial to caudal direction. The cranial or head end of the neural plate indicates the region of the future brain, and the narrower caudal or tail end represents the future region of the spinal cord) - By the end of the 3rd week of development (during 4th week), the lateral edges of the neural plate become elevated and move together to form the neural fold.
- The resulting space created by the folding of the neural plate is called the neural groove.
- The neural folds fuse together, and the neural plate transforms into the neural tube (the precursor to the CNS)
- During the closer of the neural tube, cells on the crest of the neural folds detach, forming a new cell population called the neural crest (these cells contribute to the formation of the PNS)
ONCE THE NEURAL TUBE HAS COMPLETELY FUSED, THE PROCESS OF NEURULATION IS COMPLETE