Stages of Fetal

Development
 Stages of development

✘ Pre-embryonic period (fertilization to week 2)

✘ Embryonic period (week 3 – week 8)
✘ Fetal period (week 8 through birth)

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 Stages of development
✘ Pre-embryonic period (fertilization to week 2)
○ Zygote undergoes cleavage (mitotic divisions)

zygote blastomeres morula blastocyst

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 Stages of development
✘ Pre-embryonic period (fertilization to week 2)
○ Blastocyst- has two distinctive tissues:
■ Outer trophoblast – becomes the fetal
membranes and the placenta
■ Inner cell mass – forms the embryo (late
blastocyst)

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 Stages of development
✘ Fetal Membranes
○ Chorion – membrane that forms the outer wall
of the blastocyst
■ Chorionic villi – vascular projections that
arise from chorion (periphery)
● Chorion leave – atrophies as chorionic
vesicle enlarges, leaving the
superficial portion of chorion smooth
● Chorion frondosum – proliferate,
projecting into the large blood vessels
within the decidua basalis through
which maternal blood flows

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 Stages of development
✘ Pre-embryonic period (fertilization to week 2)
○ Implantation – blastocyst attaches to the endometrium (7 th day)
■ Trophoblast – in contact with the endometrium

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 Stages of development
✘ Embryonic Period (week 3 – week 8)
○ The zygote starts to take on the human shape, the
embryo
○ Three germ layers are formed – ectoderm,
mesoderm, endoderm
○ organ systems are formed, the embryo is
vulnerable to injury

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Stages of development

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 Stages of development
✘ Fetal period (week 8 through birth)
○ The embryo is now called a
fetus, from week 8
○ Two unusual features in this
stage:
■ The fetus’s head is larger
than the body
■ The fetus lacks
subcutaneous fats

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FETAL AGE FETAL DEVELOPMENT
Month 1 • head, trunk and tiny buds that become arms and legs are discernible
• Cardiovascular system is functional
• Umbilical cord visible in its most primitive form
Month 2 • Fetus grows to 1” and weighs 1 g
• Head and facial features develop as the ayes, ears, nose, lips, tongue, and tooth buds form
• Arms and legs take shape
• Gender not discernible, but external genetalia are present
• Cardiovascular function is complete
• Umbilical cord has definite form
• At the end of 2nd month, the fetus resembles a full term neonate except for size

Month 3 • Fetus grows to 7.6 cm and weighs 28.3 g

• Teeth and bones appear, kidneys start to function
• Fetus opens mouth to swallow
• Can grasp with fully developed hands
• Prepares for breathing by inhaling and exhaling, although lungs aren’t functioning
• Gender is distinguishable at the end of 3rd month
Month 3-9 • Fetal growth continues as internal and external structures develop rapidly
• In the 3rd trimester, fetus stores fats and minerals
• At birth, full-term measures 50.1 cm and weighs 3-3.5 kg

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus
✘ Corpus luteum – functions normally via LH stimulation
○ Produces progesterone until placenta takes over
○ Atrophies 3 days before menstrual flow begins
○ Grows less responsive to LH with aging
○ Pregnancy stimulates placental tissue to secrete large
amounts of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which
resemble FSH and LH; HCG prevents corpus luteum
degeneration, stimulating large amounts of estrogen and
progesterone production (maintains pregnancy)

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘HCG – can be detected as early as 7-8 days after

fertilization, peaks at 10 to 12 weeks, then gradually declines

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘ Decidua - the endometrial lining of the uterus during pregnancy

○ Decidual cells secretes:
■ Relaxin – a peptide hormone which induces relaxation of the
connective tissue of the symphysis pubis and pelvic ligaments and
promotes cervical dilation
■ Progesterone and relaxin are secreted by the corpus luteum in early
pregnancy and later in pregnancy by the placenta
■ a potent (hormonelike) fatty acid, prostaglandin , which mediates
several physiologic functions.

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘Decidua
○ Decidua basalis - lies beneath
the chorionic vesicle
○ Decidua capsularis -
stretches over the vesicle
○ Decidua pareitalis - lines the
remainder of the endometrial
cavity
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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘ Decidua - the endometrial lining of the uterus during pregnancy

○ Decidual cells secretes:
■ Relaxin – a peptide hormone which induces relaxation of the
connective tissue of the symphysis pubis and pelvic ligaments and
promotes cervical dilation
■ Progesterone and relaxin are secreted by the corpus luteum in early
pregnancy and later in pregnancy by the placenta
■ a potent (hormonelike) fatty acid, prostaglandin , which mediates
several physiologic functions.

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Structural changes in the ovaries and
uterus
✘Amniotic Sac and Fluid
○ Amniotic sac – enclosed within the chorion,
grows and surrounds the embryo
○ As it enlarges, the amniottic sac expands into the
chorionic cavity, eventually filling the cavity and
fusing with the chorion by the 8th week of gestation

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘ Sources of Amniotic Fluid

o Early in pregnancy:
 fluid filtering into the amniotic sac from maternal blood as it passes
through the uterus
 fluid filtering into the sac from fetal blood passing through the placenta
 fluid diffusing into the amniotic sac from the fetal skin and respiratory
tract.
o Late in pregnancy:
■ fetal kidneys begin to function, the fetus urinates into the amniotic fluid.
Fetal urine then becomes the major source of amniotic fluid.

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘ Yolk Sac
○ forms next to the endoderm of the germ disk;
○ portion of it forms the GI tract;
○ Another portion develops into primitive germ cells, which travel
to the developing gonads and eventually form oocytes (the
precursor of the ovum) or spermatocytes (the precursor of the
spermatozoon) after gender has been determined.
○ Also forms blood cells during early embryonic development

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus

✘ Placenta – flattened, disk shape structure formed from the

chorion, its chorionic villi, and the adjacent decidua basalis
○ A highly vascular organ containing large veins that gather
blood returning from the villi and join to form the single
umbilical vein, returning blood to the fetus
○ Provides nutrients to and removes wastes from the fetus
from 3rd month of pregnancy until birth
○ Linked into the fetus via umbilical cord

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Structural changes in the ovaries and uterus
✘ Two Highly Specialized Circulatory System in the
Placenta:
○ Uteroplacental Circulation – carries oxygenated arterial
blood from maternal circulation to the intervillous spaces –
large spaces separating chorionic villi in the placenta
○ Fetoplacental Circulation – transports oxygen-depleted
blood from the fetus to the chorionic villi by the umbilical
arteries and returns oxygenated blood to the fetus through
the umbilical vein
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HORMONES DURING PREGNANCY
✘ For the first 3 months of pregnancy, the corpus luteum
is the main source of estrogen and progesterone—
hormones required during pregnancy.
✘ By the end of the third month, however, the placenta
produces most of the hormones; the corpus luteum
persists but is no longer needed to maintain the
pregnancy.

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HORMONES DURING PREGNANCY
✘ Estrogen stimulates uterine development to provide a
suitable environment for the fetus.
✘ Progesterone, synthesized by the placenta from
maternal cholesterol, reduces uterine muscle irritability
and prevents spontaneous abortion of the fetus.

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HORMONES DURING PREGNANCY
✘ Human Placental Lactogen (HPL)
○ Resembles growth hormone
○ Stimulates maternal protein and fat metabolism to
ensure sufficient supply of amino acids and fatty
acids
○ Stimulates breast growth for lactation

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