Week 3; Session 2

Human Anatomy & Physiology - 2 (HMG381)

Developmental Anatomy - The first week

Dr. Merin Thomas

merin.t-adjunct@adu.ac.ae
Office hours : Monday & Wednesday - 9.00am to 10.30am
Tuesday & Thursday - 10.45am to 12.30pm
 Learning Objectives

• Overview of development
• Week 1 of development
 OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT - TERMINOLOGY

• Male gametes are called sperm

• Female gametes are called (secondary) oocytes.
• The organs that produce gametes are called gonads; these are the
testes in the male and the ovaries in the female.
• Pregnancy is a sequence of events that begins with fertilization,
proceeds to implantation, embryonic development, and fetal
development, and ideally ends with birth about 38 weeks later, or 40
weeks after the mother’s last menstrual period
 OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT -
TERMINOLOGY

• Development biology is the study of the growth and development

of an individual from fertilization to death.

• From fertilization through the eighth week of development, the

embryonic period, the developing human is called an embryo

• Embryology is the study of development from the fertilized egg

through the eighth week.

• The fetal period begins at week nine and continues until birth.
During this time, the developing human is called a fetus.
 OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT -
TERMINOLOGY

• Prenatal development is the time from fertilization to birth and

includes both the embryonic and fetal periods.

• Prenatal development is divided into periods of three calendar

months each, called trimesters.
 Week 1 of Embryonic Period/Week 1 of development

• The embryonic period extends from fertilization through the

eighth week.

• The first week of development is characterized by several significant

events including

• Fertilization

• Cleavage of the zygote

• Blastocyst formation

• Implantation.
 Week 1 of development - Fertilization

• What is Fertilization?

• Process where the genetic material from a haploid sperm and a

haploid secondary oocyte merges into a single diploid nucleus

• Where does it occur?

• Normally occurs in the uterine tube

• When does it occur?

• Within 12-24 hours after ovulation

 Week 1 of development - Fertilization

• How does the sperm reach the uterine tube?

• Swim with the help of flagella (tail)

• Prostaglandins in semen facilitate the migration of sperm from

the vagina into the uterine cavity.

• Uterine contractions

• What changes does a sperm undergo prior to fertilization?

• Capacitation

• Acrosome reaction
 Week 1 of development - Fertilization

• Capacitation : Capacitation is a biochemical process occurring in

the female reproductive tract, which enables sperm to fertilize an
ovum

• A biochemical event
• ONLY capacitated sperms can fertilize the mature ovum
.
Week 1 of development - Fertilization
 Week 1 of development - Fertilization

• Acrosomal Reaction :

• Occurs after sperm capacitation

• The fusion of the acrosomal membrane with the sperm's plasma

membrane

• This allows the sperm to break through the Zona pellucida by the
release of acrosin and trypsin like substances

• The acrosome is the cap-like structure present at the head of the

sperm contains several proteolytic enzymes such as
hyaluronidase and acrosin.
 Depolarization of the membrane

PREVENTS POLYSPERMY
Layers penetrated by the sperm to reach the oocyte

(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)

 Week 1 of development - Fertilization
• Once a sperm enters a secondary oocyte

• the oocyte completes meiosis II and the nucleus of the ovum forms
the female pronucleus while the polar body disintegrates

• The zona pellucida becomes impermeable to other sperms

• The nucleus in the head of the sperm develops into the male
pronucleus

• After the male and female pronuclei form, they fuse, producing a single
diploid nucleus

• Thus, the fusion of the two haploid (n) nuclei restores the diploid
number (2n) of 46 chromosomes.

• The fertilized ovum now is called a zygote

 Week 1 of development - Cleavage (of zygote)

• After fertilization, rapid mitotic cell divisions of the zygote called

cleavage take place.

• The first division of the zygote begins about 24 hours after

fertilization and is completed about 6 hours later.

• Each succeeding division takes slightly less time.

• By the second day after fertilization, the second cleavage is

completed and there are four cells. By the end of the third day, there
are 16 cells.
 Week 1 of development - Cleavage (of zygote)

• The progressively smaller cells produced by cleavage are called

blastomeres

• Successive cleavages eventually produce a solid sphere of cells

called the morula

• The morula is still surrounded by the zona pellucida and is

about the same size as the original zygote
(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)
 Week 1 of development - Formation of Blastocyst

• By the end of the fourth day, the number of cells in the morula

increases as it continues to move through the uterine tube toward the

uterine cavity.

• When the morula enters the uterine cavity on day 4 or 5, a glycogen- rich

secretion from the glands of the endometrium of the uterus passes into

the uterine cavity and enters the morula through the zona pellucida.

• This fluid, called uterine milk, along with nutrients stored in the

cytoplasm of the blastomeres of the morula, provides nourishment for

the developing morula.

 Week 1 of development - Formation of Blastocyst
• At the 32-cell stage, the fluid enters the morula, collects between
the blastomeres, and reorganizes them around a large fluid-filled
cavity called the blastocyst cavity (also called the blastocoel).

• Once the blastocyst cavity is formed, the developing mass is called the
blastocyst.

• Though it now has hundreds of cells, the blastocyst is still about the
same size as the original zygote.
(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)
 Week 1 of development - Formation of Blastocyst

• During the formation of the blastocyst two distinct cell populations

arise: the embryoblast and trophoblast.

• The embryoblast or inner cell mass, is located internally and

eventually develops into the embryo.

• The trophoblast is the outer superficial layer of cells that forms the
sphere like wall of the blastocyst.

• It will ultimately develop into the outer chorionic sac that

surrounds the fetus and the fetal portion of the placenta, the
site of exchange of nutrients and wastes between the mother and
fetus.
 Week 1 of development - Formation of Blastocyst

• Around the fifth day after fertilization, the blastocyst “hatches” from
the zona pellucida by digesting a hole in it with an enzyme, and then
squeezing through the hole.

• This shedding of the zona pellucida is necessary in order to

permit the next step, implantation into the vascular, glandular
endometrial lining of the uterus.

• Zona pellucida prevents implantation at an abnormal site

 Week 1 of development - Implantation
• About 6 days after fertilization, the blastocyst loosely attaches to
the endometrium in a process called implantation

• As the blastocyst implants, usually in either the posterior portion of the

fundus or the body of the uterus, it orients with the inner cell mass
toward the endometrium

• About 7 days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches to the

endometrium more firmly, endometrial glands in the vicinity
enlarge, and the endometrium becomes more vascularized
(forms new blood vessels).

• The blastocyst eventually secretes enzymes and burrows into the

endometrium and becomes surrounded by it.
 Week 1 of development - Implantation

(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)

 Week 1 of development - Implantation

• The blastocyst remains free within the uterine cavity for about 2 days
before it attaches to the uterine wall. At this time the endometrium is
in its secretory phase.

• Following implantation, the functional layer of the endometrium

is known as the decidua

• Different regions of the decidua are named based on their

positions relative to the site of the implanted blastocyst
Week 1 of development - Implantation

(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)

Week 1 of development - Summary of Events

(J Tortora & H Derrickson, 2020)

 ACTIVITES & ASSIGNMENTS

• Quiz 1 On MONDAY, March 11th 2023 (33/77) & TUESDAY March 12th
2024 (22/66) (Week 4.1)

• Portions: Anatomical terminology, planes & regions, Levels of

structural organization, Homeostasis, Interaction and

Interdependence of organ systems, Maintenance of homeostasis

(Weeks 1-3.1)

• Assignment Submission On MONDAY, 18th March 2023; 11.59pm

(22/66) & (33/77) (Week 5)

ACTIVITES & ASSIGNMENTS

Any doubts regarding assignment?

 REFERENCES

•J Tortora, G., & H Derrickson, B. (2020). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

[Book]. John Wiley& Sons.

• DSc, S. S. P. (2020). Gray’s Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice

(42nd ed.). Elsevier.