Embryology #2

Human development
o Protozoa
o Metazoa
o Conception/Fertilization
o Ontogeny
o Growth
 Hyperplasia
 Hypertrophy
o Morphogenesis
o Differentiation
Developmental stages consist of
o Pre-Natal period
o Gestational age  First day of last normal menstruation period (LNMP)
o Fertilization age
o G/A is 2 weeks longer than fertilization so 36 ± 2 weeks
o Day 1 till the 8th week is considered the embryonic period while the 9th week till
birth is considered the foetal period
ALWAYS ASK/CHECK FOR WETHER A PATIENT IS IN THEIR EMBRYONIC
PERIOD BECAUSE AN X-RAY CAN HARM THE EMBRYO. ULTRASOUND WILL
BE USED INSTEAD
Development in every week is divided into 7 stages
There are 3 3-month periods referred to as trimesters
o 1st trimester  13 weeks (critical period)
o 2nd trimester  12 weeks
o 3rd trimester  13 weeks
0 months till 1 month AFTER BIRTH is considered the Neo-natal stage
1 month till 12 months of age is considered infancy
13 months till puberty is considered childhood
11-19 years is the timeframe for adolescence
In adolescence, physical and sexual maturity will be reached and the ability to reproduce
will be gained
Menarche is at the end of puberty for females and signifies the beginning of the
menstrual cycle
Spermatogenesis is the end of puberty in males
From 18-21 years of age, growth and oscillation will take place. In males, their height can
keep increasing till 25 years of age
21-25 years of age is considered early adulthood
In medical forensics, the lines of ossification and the fusion of bones can used to identify
the age of the dead person. Fully fused bones indicates that they are above 25 years of
age
Male Genitalia:
o Testis
o Excurrent duct system
o Accessory sex glands
o External genitalia
Whether the testis or ovaries develop depends on which hormone is secreted
Reference to SRY gene and it’s role in sex differentiation