Preparation for Pregnancy Flashcards
Gametogenesis
The process in which cells undergo meiosis to form gametes
- Oogenesis in females
- Spermatogenesis is males
4 Phases of Gametogensis
(1) the extraembryonic origin of the germ cells and their migration into the gonads
(2) An increase in the number of germ cells by mitosis
(3) A reduction in chromosomal number by meiosis
(4) Structural and functional maturation of the eggs and spermatozoa
Primordial germ cells
Cells are responsible for differentiating into eggs and sperm
* Earliest recognizable precursors of gametes
When does oogenesis begin? spermatogenesis?
Females = before birth Males = at puberty
Describe what happens during the first phase of the Gametogenesis
Primordial germ cells arise outside the gonads and migrate into the gonads during early embryonic development
Describe the migratory path of PGC’s
They exit from the yolk sac into the hindgut epithelium and then migrate through the dorsal mesentery until they reach the primordia of the gonads (initially at the level of L1)
Obstetric age vs. scientific age
Obstetric:
- begins at the beginning of the last menstrual cycle
- 40 weeks = 280 days
Scientific:
- Begins when the sperm actually penetrates the egg
-38 weeks = 266 days
When must fertilization take place to create a viable pregnancy?
Within 24 hours of ovulation otherwise the egg degenerates
4 Actions during development
- Growth
- apoptosis
- differentiation
- organization
What happens during growth?
(1) Hypertrophy
- increased cell size
(2) cell proliferation
- increase cell number
(3) accretion
- Increase extracellular matrix
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death
Describe the process of differentiation
The process by which a cell changes from a multipotent state of fundamental specificity
What happens during organization phase of development?
The fate of cells is sometimes based on their 3-D organization
What is morphogenesis?
The origin and development of landforms and other structures
* For example as shape changes so does function
When do the embryonic and fetal periods begin and end?
Embryonic Period:
- From fertilization through the end of the eighth week
Fetal Period:
- From the ninth week to birth (approximately 38 weeks after fertilization or 40 weeks after the last period)
How is a nine month pregnancy typically split?
Into three trimesters
At how many weeks (scientific age) does a fully formed fetus occur? how long is it?
About eight weeks and it is approximately 3 cm long
At how many weeks (obstetric age) is there a 50% survival rate?
24 wks
What is CR?
Crown rump length
*from the top of the skull to the gluteus maximus
Given CR length how can gestational age be approximated?
Age in weeks =CR length + 6.5
Two major parts of the uterus
- Body
- cervix
Describe the uterine tubes
- Approximately 10 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.
- extend laterally from the horns of the uterus and into the peritoneal cavity at its distal end
Where does fertilization occur?
In the ampulla of the uterine tube
What is a morula?
A solid ball of cells resulting from division of a fertilized ovum and from which a blastula is formed
How many cells are allowed to penetrate the egg?
Only one
- once the zona pellucida is penetrated it becomes impervious to other sperm
Fertilization creates a _______ cell called a _______.
Totipotent
Zygote