Glossary Flashcards
Hydatidiform Mole
A sperm fertilises an enucleated egg, followed by duplication of the paternal chromosomes to restore a diploid number. Trophoblasts form placental tissue, but with no embryo. Moles only express parental genes and secrete high concentrations of hCG.
Ectopic
Outside the uterus.
Placenta Previa
Low lying placenta within the uterus that partially or completely covers the cervix. Caused by implantation low in the uterus.
Anencephaly
Congenital malformation in which the anterior neuropore fails to close, leading to failure of formation of higher brain centres. Results in large part of skull and cerebral hemispheres of brain are absent.
Acrosome Reaction
Release of degrative enzymes from acrosome on head of sperm (induced by zona proteins). Assists in sperm penetration of zona pellucida.
Cleavage
Division of cells in the early embryo
Corona radiata
Innermost layer of cumulus oophorus adjacent to the zona pellucida
Cortical reaction
Occurs after fertilisation. Cortical granules released by the egg prevent polyspermy
Fertilisation
Fusion of male and female gametes (sperm&ovum)
Gametogenesis
Formation of male and female sex cells
Gametes
A haploid cell (sex cell) that has undergone meiosis
Meiosis
Cell division to produce haploid cells
Mitosis
Process where one cell divides giving rise to 2 daughter cells, each with 46 chromosomes
Pronuclei
Either of a pair of gametic nuclei after fertilisation but before fusion leads to formation of nucleus of the zygote
Trisomy 21
Downs syndrome. Genetic disorder caused by presence of 3rd copy of chromosome 21
Zona Pellucida
Specialised layer surrounding the plasma membrane of the ovum
Zygote
First structure formed after fertilisation by fusion of a sperm and ovum
Blastomeres
Cells formed by cleavage of fertilised ovum
Blastocyst
Stage of embryogenesis at the time of implantation where outer trophoblast cells form a fluid-filled sphere with a small group of embryo blast cells (inner cell mass) at one pol.
After fertilisation, cells in zygote cleave to form a hollow ball with a layer of cells on outside, called a blastocyst
Embryoblast
Cells that form inner cell mass. Goes on to form the embryo proper.
Differentiates into the epiblast and hypoblast cells.
Trophoblast
Outer cells of blastocyst. Important in development of support structures that are important in implantation and nourishment of embryo.
Differentiate into cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells
Teratogen
A factor that causes a birth defect, such as a drug or environmental toxicant
Spina Bifida
Neural tube defect that involves incomplete formation of the vertebral arches and may or may not involve the meninges (meningeocele) and neural tissue (mylomeningeocele)
Outer Cell Mass
Cells that surround the blastocyst cavity and cover the inner cell mass. Will form the trophoblast.
Morula
Cleavage of the developing zygote to form a ball of 16-32 cells
Microcephaly
A condition in which the brain fails to form properly, resulting in a head with an abnormally small circumference
Inner Cell Mass
Cluster of cells segregated to one pole of the blastocyst and from which the entire embryo develops
Capacitation
A period of sperm conditioning in the female reproductive tracts lasting about 7 hours that is required for sperm to be able to fertilise the egg
Cytotrophoblast
Proliferative inner layer of trophoblast
Lithopaedian
Stone baby. A foetus dies during an ectopic pregnancy but is too large to be resorbed by the body and so is calcified.
Syncytiotrophoblast
Outer multinucleated layer of trophoblast that serves to invade the endometrium of the uterus
Bilaminar Disc
Stage in week 2 development when the inner cell mass/embryoblasts differentiate into a layer of epiblast cells and a layer of hypoblast cells
Epiblast
Dorsal (top) layer of cells comprising the bilaminar disc during the 2nd week of development. The hypoblast forms the ventral layer. All tissues of the embryo are derived from the epiblast
Hypoblast
Ventral layer of bilaminar germ disc. Contributes to formation of yolk sac and extra embryonic mesoderm but not to tissues of embryo