PAPER 1 - PART B

Embryology – development of fertilized ovum

References
BD Chaurasia's Dream Human Embryology, 2nd Edition
th
Inderbir Singh’s Human Embryology. 11 edition

For first year BAMS students 2020-2021 batch

For internal circulation only

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Development of fertilized ovum
Development of fertilized ovum begins immediately after fertilization.
During the first week, cleavage of zygote, formation of morula,
transport to the uterine cavity ,formation of blastocyst and implantation
are the main events taking place.
Cleavage of zygote
The fertilized ovum undergoes a series of cellular divisions. The process
of repeated mitotic division of the zygote within zona pellucida is
called cleavage. The smaller cells formed are called blastomeres.
The cleavage divisions start immediately after fertilization in the
uterine tube and continues up to 3 days . Division continues as the
zygote is passing through the uterine tube towards the uterus. The
cleavage division lasts for 6 days, i.e. up to 7 th day after fertilization.
At the first cleavage division the zygote forms one large cell and one
small cell. This stage is seen after 30 hours of fertilization. In the next
cleavage the larger cell divides first followed by smaller one.
There are three subdivisions in cleavage. They are:
1. Stage of compaction
2. Morula
3. Blastocyst
Stage of compaction starts at third division, ie at 8-cell stage. There
will be maximal contact between the cells. Outer cells form tight
junctions and exhibit polarity. Inner cells form gap junctions.
Morula
As cleavage proceeds the ovum comes to have 16 cells, i.e. fourth
division. It now looks like a mulberry and is called the morula.

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It is still surrounded by the zona pellucida. Cells are similar in size and
structure. It consists of an inner cell mass that is completely surrounded
by an outer layer of cells.
The cells of the outer layer will later give rise to a structure called the
trophoblast that forms the coverings of the embryo.

The inner cell mass gives rise to the embryo proper and is, therefore,
also called the embryoblast. The cells of the trophoblast help to
provide nutrition to the embryo
Blastocyst
Between 4th and 5th day and 32–64 cells stage some fluid passes into
the morula from the uterine cavity, and partially separates the cells of
the inner cell mass from those of the trophoblast
As the quantity of fluid increases, the morula acquires the shape of a
cyst. The cells of the trophoblast become flattened and the inner cell
mass gets attached to the inner side of the trophoblast on one side only
The morula has now become a blastocyst. The cavity of the blastocyst is
the blastocoele. That side of the blastocyst to which the inner cell mass
is attached is called the embryonic or animal pole, while the opposite
side is the abembryonic pole

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The trophoblast divides into the one in contact with embryoblast known
as polar trophoblast and the rest of it lining the wall of blastocyst is
known as mural trophoblast
Thinning of zonal pellucida starts on 4th day and it disappears on 5th
day of fertilization. Disappearance of zona pellucida initiates
attachment of trophoblastic cells to uterine epithelium known as
implantation on 6th or 7th day after fertilization.

Cleavage stage Time after fertilization

One-cell stage <24 hrs
Two-cells stage 24–36 hrs
3–4 cells stage 36–48 hrs
5–8 cells stage 48–72 hrs
9–16 cells stage 72–96 hrs