DR IRAM IQBAL

 Cleavage is the series of mitotic cell divisions of

the zygote that result in the formation of
early embryonic cells blastomeres.

 The size of the cleaving zygote remains

unchanged because at each succeeding cleavage
division the blastomeres become smaller.

 Untill the 8-cell stage, they form a loosely

arranged clump.
 Division of zygote into blastomeres
begins approximately 30 hours after
fertilization.

 Cleavage normally occurs as the zygote

passes along the uterine tube toward
the uterus.

 During cleavage zygote is normally

within the rather thick zona pellucida.
 After the third cleavage, blastomeres
maximize their contact with each other,
forming a compact ball of cells held together
by tight junctions.

 This process, compaction, segregates inner

cells, which communicate extensively by gap
junctions, from outer cells.
 Compaction is mediated by cell surface adhesion
glycoproteins.

 Compaction permits greater cell-to-cell

interaction and is a prerequisite for segregation
of the internal cells that form the inner cell
mass or embryoblast of the blastocyst.
 L., morus, mulberry

 Approximately, 3 days after fertilization, cells of

the compacted embryo divide again to form a 16-
cell morula (mulberry).

 Inner cells of the morula constitute the inner cell

mass, & surrounding cells compose the outer cell
mass.
 About the time the morula enters the
uterine cavity, fluids begin to penetrate
through the zona pellucida into the
intercellular spaces of the inner cell mass.

 Gradually, the intercellular spaces become

confluent, and finally, a single cavity, the
blastocoel forms.
 CELLS OF
EMBRYO
INNER CELL
PROPER
MASS

CELLS OF
OUTER CELL TROPHOBLAST
MASS
 At this time, the embryo is a blastocyst.

 Cells of the inner cell mass , now called the

embryoblast, are at one pole, & those of the
outer cell mass, or trophoblast, flatten &
form the epithelial wall of the blastocyst.

 The zona pellucida has disappeared, allowing

implantation to begin.
 LH

FSH
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Follicular Phase Luteal Phase

Estrogen
Progesterone
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

19th Nov 2009 19

19th Nov 2009 20
 SPIRAL
STRAIGHT

19th Nov 2009 21

 VERTEBRATES
 NONVERTEBRATES
 ANAMNIOTA

 AMNIOTA
 Un born young
ones are
nourished in
the uterus by
means of
PLACENTA
 Consist of fatty &aluminous substance which
has been transported to the cytoplasm and
stored as rounded granules. It provide
nutrition to the developing embryo.

 No ovum is totally devoid of yolk.

 Yolk is usefull in classifying eggs.

 Based on relative abundance of yolk
 Small

 Medium

 Large

 Mechanism of development is related to

distribution of yolk within the cell

1 .Isolecithal,(equal yolk)
Those ova that contain little yolk tend to have it dispersed
rather uniformly.

 Invertebrates & a ll but lowest mammals

2.Telolecithal (yolk at end)
 As yolk become more abudent it tend to
concentrate in one hemisphere .
 Various invertebrates
 All vertebrates
 Marsupial mammals

 If yolk is moderate in amount as in amphibians

the egg is termed Mediallecithal.
 The large yolk rich egg of bony fish, reptiles
birds are termed Megalecithal
3, Centrolecithal ,
Yolk is massed centrally and is surrounded
by a peripheral shell of clear cytoplasm.eg in
arthropods
 This is the series of mitotic cell divisions of the
zygote that results in the formation of early
embryonic cells blastomeres. The size of the cleaving
zygote remains unchanged because at each succeeding
cleavage division the blastomeres become smaller.

 Cleavage is a fractioning process, which provides

building units of convenient size, rather than a process
of truly constructive development.
 On the basis of the abundance and
distribution of yolk, cleavage is
classified as follows:
 Entire ovum divides; holoblastic
ova.
1. EQUAL: In isolecithal ova;
blastomeres are of approximately
equal size; e.g.,

 amphioxus,

 marsupials

 placental mammals.
UNEQUAL:
In moderately telolecithal ova;
yolk accumulated at the vegetal
pole retards mitosis, and fewer
but larger blastomeres form
there;
 lower fishes

 amphibians.
 Protoplasmic region alone cleaves;
meroblastic ova.
1. In highly
telolecithal ova;
mitosis is
restricted to the
animal pole;

 higher fishes
 reptiles,
 birds
 monotreme mammals.
1. In Centrolecithal ova;
mitosis is restricted to
the peripheral
Cytomlasmic investment;
limited to the
arthropods.
 Classification according to division
plane is as follow:
 Classification according to axis of a
spindle is as follow:

PERPENDICULAR
PARALLEL TO OBLIQUE TO
TO THE
THE ORIGINAL THE ORIGINAL
ORIGINAL
BODY AXIS BODY AXIS
BODY AXIS
 Fish shaped animal
 Representative of low chordates
 Egg:
 0.1 mm
Contains small amount of yolk
Isolecithal ova
 Cleavage:
Total and nearly equal
Begins 1 hour after fertilization
Polar body

Fig. 50-4 (a-d), p. 1085

 cleavage is holoblastic and radial. The
embryos are shown from the side. (a)
Mature egg with polar body. (b–e) The 2-,
4-, 8-, cell stages
Cleavage in Amphioxus
 This group represnts animals whose eggs
have a fair amount of yolk.
 Egg:
1-10mm in dia
Yolk concentrated toward the vegetal pole
Moderately telolecithal
 Cleavage:
Total
 Unequal
Animal pole

Vegetal pole
Blastocoel
Wall
Cavity
 Egg:
Large
Great amount of yolk
Highly Telolecithal type of egg

 Cleavage:
Partial
Discoidal
 Cleavage produces a modified blastula
(named a discoblastula) in which the
cellular cap is termed the blastoderm.

 The space between the blastomeres and

yolk mass is often called a blastocoele.
 Epiblast

Hypoblast

Blastocoel
Yolk

Fig. 50-7b, p. 1086

 Eggs:
Microscopic in size
Isolecithal

 Cleavage:
Within the zona pellucida
Total
Nearly equal
Begins in uterine tubes
Completed in the uterus
 This picture is of the unfertilized egg. It can be
differentiated from the zygote by the presence of a large,
conspicuous nucleus (large arrow) with obvious nucleolus
(smaller arrow) and by the lack of a fertilization membrane.
This shows the zygote (fertilized cell). It is recognized by the
presence of the fertilization membrane surrounding it and the
peripheral, fluid-filled perivitelline space
This is the two cell stage. By this stage, the zygote has completed its
first cleavage, which is both equal and holoblastic (i.e. the entire ovum
is divided into cells). The division (cleavage) has passed through the
animal-vegetal axis, producing two similar blastomeres.
 This is the four cell stage. This second cleavage also passes
through the animal-vegetal axis, but perpendicular to the first
cleavage . Four equal-sized blastomeres are the end result.
The eight cell stage. Here, the third cleavage has occurred
in the equatorial plane . upper four blastomeres (the
animal pole) are slightly smaller than the lower four
blastomeres (the vegetal pole).
 The thirty-two cell stage is seen here. After the 16 cell stage, the
cleavages become more difficult to follow, due to the increasing number of
cells and to the division of blastomeres becoming asynchronous. Cleavage
continues, forming a mass of cells which organizes itself into the blastula.
The lighter area in the centre of the embryo is the beginning of the
blastocoel.
 This shows the early blastula. With continuing cleavage, the cells in
centre begin to lose contact with one another, and a central fluid-filled
cavity (the blastocoel) forms. This blastocoel is surrounded by a single
layer of cells, forming the hollow sphere know as the blastula
 This shows the late blastula. Like the early blastula, it is
characterized by a single layer of cells surrounding the central
hollow area - the blastocoel (B). The blastomeres are seen to be
smaller and are individually not as obvious. The blastomeres at
the vegetal pole (VP) are taller than those at the animal pole
(AP), making the vegetal pole appear slightly thicker.
Developmental Anatomy, A Textbook and
Laboratory Manual of Embryology By LESLIE
BRAINERD AREY, Revised 7th Edition
The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented
Embryology by KEITH L. MOORE 8th Edition
LANGMAN’S Embryology 10th Edition, By
T.W.SADLER
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