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Fertilization - implantation
o when the outer cells of blastocyst
How far does a sperm have to swim? contact cells of the endometrium lining
- a sperm cell is about two thousandths of an the uterus, the blastocyst embeds in
inch long the endometrium
- can swim roughly 8 inches in an hour o occurs about a week after fertilization
- to reach an egg, they will ultimately they have
to swim around 192,000 times their own length Embryo Growth
- if fertilization occurs, the egg will have all the
"instructions" to grow into a new organism Growth and Development of the Embryo
Embryo
Cleavage and Implantation - what the blastocyst is called after implantation
- sperm are deposited in the vagina during Embryonic Stage
sexual intercourse - lasts through the 8th week following fertilization
- propel themselves through the uterus and - the embryo grows in size and becomes more
enter a fallopian tube complex
o where fertilization usually takes place o develops specialized cells and tissues
- when a sperm penetrates the egg, it triggers and starts to form most organs
the egg to complete meiosis
o sperms tail falls off, and Formation of Cell Layers
its nucleus fuses with the nucleus of During the second week after fertilization, cells in the
the egg embryo migrate to form three distinct cell layers:
o resulting cell = zygote 1. Ectoderm (external layers)
contains all o skin cells of epidermis
the chromosomes needed for o neuron of brain
a new human organism
o pigment cell
half the chromosomes come
from the egg and half from the 2. Mesoderm (middle layer)
sperm o cardiac muscle
o skeletal muscle cells
Morula and Blastocysts Stages o tubule cell of the kidney
- uterus, where the zygote will stay o red blood cells
o when the zygote travels to the uterus it o smooth muscle (in gut)
will undergo mitosis
o it forms a ball of cells called morula
3. Endoderm (interior layer)
o lung cell (alveolar cell)
o cell divisions are called cleavage
o thyroid cell
- increase the number of cells but not the overall
size of the new organism o pancreatic cell
- blastocyst 4. Germ Cells
o a fluid filled cavity forms inside the ball o sperm
of cells o egg
o the cells of the blastocyst form an
inner cell mass and an outer cell Differentiation of Cells
layers Differentiation
o inner cell mass = embryoblast - occurs during the 3rd week after fertilization
will soon develop into an - process by which unspecialized cells become
embryo specialized
o outer cell layer = trophoblast - occurs as certain genes are expressed
develop into other structures (“switched on”) while other genes are switched
needed to support and nourish off
the embryo - cells develop unique structures and abilities
that suit them for their specialized functions
Implantation
- 4 to 5 days Organ Formation
o time for the blastocyst to reach the eight week of development – embryo about 30
uterus after fertilization millimeters in length
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[NCM 107] 5. Stages of Fetal (Prenatal) Development – Prof. Dymphna Casquejo
Umbilical Cord
- connects the fetus to the placenta
- a tube that contains two arteries and a vein
- blood from the fetus enter the placenta through
the umbilical arteries, exchanges gases, and
other substances with the mother’s blood, and
travels back to the fetus through the umbilical
vein
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