Reproduction 3 - fertilization, pregenancy, lactation Flashcards
What is Fertilization?
Fusion of the male and female gametes to form a zygote
After fertilization: duration of hours pregnancy or gestation
- First two months: embryo
- After 8 weeks (two months): fetus
- About nine months (40 weeks) of gestation • parturition or birth
Site of Fertilization
• Female oviduct
Timing for fertilization is limited how?
- Sperm viable for 5 days
* Oocyte viable for 12-24
Sperm initially incapable of fertilization
Why?
• Requires capacitation
Sperm Movement in the Uterine Tube, only ~100 make it there, why?
- Damage due to acidic pH of the female tract
* Some loss due to leakage from cervix
How long do sperm survive in female tract?
5 days
Why is polyspermy not favored?
Because only one sperm cell carrying n # of chromosomes is allowed in the egg to maintain the diploid zygote.
How is polyspermy prevented?
To prevent polyspermy:
- Change in membrane potential
- Release of contents from cortical granules
- Enzymes enter and harden zona pellucida
- Enzymes inactivate sperm binding receptor
Events of fertilization
1) sperm heads bind to receptor of zona pellucida = acrosome rxn
2) sperm move through zona pellucida
3) one sperm binds to egg plasma membrane
4) 3 simultaneous events:
- Egg blocks polyspermy (secretory vesicles and enzymes enter zona pellucida).
- Meiosis II = zygote = embryogenesis
- egg enzyme activated - embryogenesis
What happens to the oocyte during fertilization?
• oocyte —> ovum (meiosis II)
– Sperm plasma membrane degrades
– Chromosomes from sperm and ovum migrate to centre
– DNA replicated —> zygote
Early Embryonic Development and Implantation
Mitotic divisions —> morula
• Cell cleavage
(4 cells stage, no increase in overall size)
——>
• Morula contains 16-32 Totipotent cells cell
(3-4 days post fertilization)
—-> Moves to uterus
Division of totipotent morula cells results in
identical twins
Fertilization of two oocytes (released during the same cycle) results in
non-identical (fraternal) twins
3-4 days after fertilization, the morula loses its
Zona pellucida
What does the morula become?
Blastocyst
Blastocyst
Lost zona pellucida = lost totipotency
– Outer cell layer = trophoblast = becomes fetal placenta
– Inner cell mass = becomes embryo
– Fluid-filled cavity = blastocoele
The trophoblast, inner cell mass, and fluid filled cavity of the blastocyst becomes
Trophoblast becomes placenta
Inner cell mass becomes embryo
Fluid filled cavity becomes blastoceole
Early Embryonic Development and Implantation
Zygote —> early cleavage (4 cell)
—> morula (totipotent) —-> blastocyst (totipotency lost)
Why does the blastocyst lose its totipotency ?
Because the inner cell mass has all the info required to make embryo
embryo is in the first
2 months of growth
When does implantation occur and what phase does it occur in menstrual cycle?
- 6-7 days after fertilization.
- within the Luteal phase of the menstrual cycle = lots of progesterone
During implantation what hormone is very high and what does it cause?
lots of progesterone = decreases constracility and keeps env calm = prevents miscarriage or early abortion of implanted embryo.
Implantation
The blastocyst implants via sticky trophoblast cells (become placenta) 6-7 days after fertilization
( ~day 21 of ovulation cycle)
- disidual response
- Syncytiotrophoblast
- cytotrophoblast
What are Syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast during implantation
Syncytiotrophoblast: fused trophoblast cell layer, outlayer of trophoblast
cytotrophoblast: inner layer of trophoblast, its the interior of the Syncytiotrophoblast.
Late Embryonic and Fetal Development
3 weeks:
- endometrium secretes glycogen rich fluid for growth & implantation of blastocyst.
5 weeks:
- heart beat begins
- early placenta development
- amnion and chorion
8 weeks:
- amnion and chorion
- embryo —-> fetus
- placenta fully developed
By 5 weeks,
placenta functioning, heart beating
Chorion
Trophoblast cell layer closest to amniotic cavity. As fetus grows, surrounds fetus inside.
Amnion
Forms amniotic sac that Contains amniotic fluid, protect fetus
Placental development form what kind of cells
The endothelial cells in the chorionic villus and the endothelial cells
What do the The endothelial cells in the chorionic villus and the endothelial cells create?
creates a barrier between mother blood and fetus blood (cell barrier)
Is there ever mixing of blood between mother and fetus ?
NO NEVER