Lecture II

Cleavage (Segmentation):
Steps.
Applied.

Implantation:
Steps.
Sites.

Cleavage (Segmentation)

@ Cleavage (Segmentation): is repeated mitosis of

zygote
leading to increase in cell number without increase
in total
size (due to persistence of zona pellucida).
@ It leads to formation ofSteps:
morula and blastocyst.

1) Formation of morula:

# During its journey in uterine tube towards uterine cavity, zygote

divides (within zona pellucida) by repeated mitotic divisions to
form 2, 4, 8 cells called blastomeres (after 36 hours).
# Repeated mitosis morula (after 72 hours) which enter
uterine cavity by 4th day after fertilization.
# Morula is a mass of 16 cells which differentiate into inner cell
mass (formative mass) and outer cell mass (trophoblast).

2) Formation of blastocyst:

# Fluid; absorbed from uterine cavity and/or secreted by trophoblast;

accumulates in morula. Many spaces appear between central
blastomeres of morula and fuse together to form single cavity called
blastocole.
# Now, morula is transformed into blastocyst, formed of 50-60 blastomeres
and it lies in contact with uterine endometrium at 5 th- 6th day of
fertilization.
# Blastocyst loses its zona pellucida and has following features :
1) Two cell groups separated by blastocele:
* Outer cell layer, trophoblast, small cells forming wall of blastocyst
(nutritive part of blastocyst).
* Inner cell mass, embryoblast large cells on one pole of trophoblast
(embryo forming part of blastocyst).
2) Two poles:
* Embryonic pole overlies inner cell mass and is adjacent to uterine
endometrium.
* Abemberyonic pole is a away from uterine endometrium.

3) Differention of trophoblast into two layers:

# By 7th day, trophoblast begins to split into an outer syncytiotrophoblast

and an inner cytotrophoblast.
# Syncytiotrophoblast (over embryonic pole) begins to present many fingerlike processes (villi) , which invade uterine mucosa to begin process of
implantation.

Applied:
@ Embryonic coloning: if two blastomeres are
separated from each other in-vitro, each one can grow
to form a separate embryo.
@ Genetic coloning: a nucleus is isolated from a somatic
cell (e.g. from buccal mucosa) of an individual. This
nucleus (which contains all genetic characters of this
individual) is implanted into an ovum in-vitro. Resulting
cell is stimulated to divide by electric stimulation to form
a morula, which is implanted into uterus to grow into an
embryo, which carries exactly genetic characters of
individual from which somatic nucleus was taken.

Implantation
@ Implantation is a process by which blastocyst penetrates
endometrium and becomes buried completely in it.
@ Onset: It begins at end of first week and is completed at
end of second week of pregnancy.

@ Steps:

# Trophoblastic cells covering embryonic pole adhere to

endometrium and secrets proteolytic enzymes, which create
a hole through which blastocyst penetrates.
# Last part to penetrate is abembryonic pole.
# By 10th day, hole in endometrium is closed by a fibrin plug.

Sites:
A) Normal site of implantation:
In upper part of posterior wall of uterus, near fundus.
B) Abnormal site of implantation:
1) In uterus:
Placenta praevia, in lower uterine segment, near internal
os.
*
*
*

2) Outside uterus (ectopic pregnancy):

Tubal pregnancy: implantation in Fallopian tube, occurs due
to early disappearance of zona pellucida. Tube usually
ruptures within 1-2 months leading to internal haemorrhage.
Ovarian pregnancy: implantation in ovary.
Abdominal pregnancy: implantation in peritoneal cavity. It
may be either primary or secondary (after repture of tubal
pregnancy).

Changes in blastocyst,
during implanation in 2nd week of
pregnancy):
@ Trophoblast completes its differentiation into:
* Outer syncytiotrophoblast.
* Inner cytotrophoblast.
@ Embryoblast differentiates into:
* Epiblast (ectoderm).
* Hypoblast (endoderm).
@ Two cavities are formed:
* Amniotic cavity (dorsal to ectoderm).
* Primary yolk sac (ventral to
endoderm).