Intro To Embryo - weeks 1 thru 2 Flashcards
Human Embryology
study of development and growth of living organism within the uterus, beginning with fertilization and ending with birth of child
Developement
extends from fertilization to death
Proliferation
increase in cell numbers
Diversification
specialization of cells, involving processes of differentiation, pattern formation and morphogenesis
Cellular Differentiation
process by which cells become different from another, through progressive acquisition of structural and biochemical specialization
Number of different specialized cells in adult human
over 200
Genomic Equivalence
Problem in which cells must differentiate but contain the same genes. Solved thorugh differential gene activity
Differential Gene Activity
Different genes turned on and off during development, leading specific gene expressions in differentiated cells (specific genes define cell purpose)
Totipotent
potential to become any type of cell, extraembryonic or embryonic (zygote and morula)
Pluripotent
Somewhat limited differentiation, forming all cells in adult (inner cell mass, epiblast)
Gurdon Lab Experiment
experiment in which a complete tadpole and frog resulted from a donor blastula, confirming that differential gene activity does no lead to genes being irreversibly turned off
Pattern formation
Complex organization of cell fates in space and time, meaning that structures must form in the correct place, order, and at the correct time. Controlled and regulated by gene expression
Spatial Organization of tissues and organs
set up by pattern formation
Lineage
developmental history of a differentiated cell, restricts its response to positional information.
Morphogenesis
Change in shape; process responsible for producing complex shapes of adults from simple ball of cells derived from division of conceptus. Mechanical process induced by genetic programs according to spatial patterning of cell
Example of mechanism that directs morphogenesis
loss of cell to cell adhesion, aka cell migration
Processes resulting from altered cell adhesion
migration, ingression, delamination
Migration
movement of individual cell with respect to other cellls, notably neural crest cellls and germ cells migrate far from original locaiton
Ingression
movement of cell from surface to interior
Delamination
movement of cells out of epithelial sheet, often to convert a single layer into multiple layers. Important for gastrulation
Gestational age
used clinically to determine pregnancy stage, based on LMP
Fertilization age
Actual age of developing human, based on time from fertilization, 2 week past LMP (normally 38 weeks to parturition). Staging used in embryology
Conceptus
unimplanted fertilizaed zygote
Embryo
implanted zygote
Fetus
developing human, named at week 9
Fertilzation
Formation of a zygote/totipotent cell from the fusion of sperm and egg
Zona Pellucida function
-prevents premature implantation
-lacks self antigen (hide from host immune system
-important for sperm attachement
Cleavage
specialized cell division whereby daughter cells divide rapidly, reducing size with each division