THE FIRST WEEK OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

 Fertilization
Phases of fertilization
Results of fertilization
Cleavage of zygote
Formation of the blastocyst
 Implantation

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DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF FERTILIZATION?
Fertilization is the fusion of the male and female germ
cells (sperm and secondary oocyte) which results in
formation of a new individual (zygote).
Fertilization is a process of several events and typically
takes place in the ampulla (lateral third) portion of the
uterine tube.
Sperms pass rapidly from the vagina into the uterus and
subsequently into the uterine tubes.
Of the 200-500 million spermatozoa deposited in the
vagina, only 300-500 reach the lateral 1/3 of uterine tube.

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 Phases of fertilization

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Fertilization is a sequence of coordinated events:
1. Passage of a sperm through the corona radiata.
• The action of the enzyme hyaluronidase from acrosome of the sperm
• Movements of the tail of the sperm are important in its penetration of the
corona radiata.
2. Penetration of the zona pellucida.
• The enzymes esterases, acrosin, and neuraminidase appear to
cause lysis of the zona pellucida.
• The most important of these enzymes is acrosin, a proteolytic
enzyme.

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Once the sperm penetrates
the zona pellucida, a zona
reaction change in the
properties of the zona
pellucida-occurs that makes it
Impermeable to other sperms.
3. Fusion of plasma membranes
of the oocyte and sperm.
The plasma or cell membranes of
the oocyte and sperm fuse and
break down at the area of fusion.
The head and tail of the sperm
enter the cytoplasm of the
oocyte, but the sperm's plasma
membrane remains behind.

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4. Completion of the second
meiotic division of oocyte
and formation of female
pronucleus.
 The secondary oocyte then
complets its second meiotic
division resulting in
production of mature ovum
and second polar body.
 The nucleus of the mature
ovum is called female
pronucleus.
5. Formation of the male
pronucleus.
 Following the sperms entry
into the ovum, the tail of the
sperm degenerates and its
head enlarges to form the
male pronucleus which
then fuses with female
prouncleus.
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During growth of the
pronuclei, they replicate
their DNA-1 n (haploid), 2 c
(two chromatids).
The oocyte containing two
haploid pronuclei is called
an ootid.
As the pronuclei fuse into
a single diploid
aggregation of
chromosomes, the ootid
becomes a zygote.
The chromosomes in the
zygote become arranged
on a cleavage spindle in
preparation for cleavage
of the zygote.
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 Results of fertilization
1. Stimulates the penetrated oocyte to complete
the second meiotic division.
2. The zygote is formed.
3. The typical number of chromosomes (46) is
restored. 23 chromosomes from the sperm and
23 chromosomes from the ovum.
4. Results in variation of the human species
through mingling of maternal and paternal
chromosomes.
5. The sex is defined:

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If a spermatozoon carrying a y
chromosome unites with the ovum X the
embryo will be a male, XY. If a
spermatozoon caring an X chromosome
unites with the ovum X the embryo will be
a female, XX.
6. Causes metabolic activation of the ootid
and initiates cleavage (cell division) of the
zygote.

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 Cleavage of zygote

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Cleavage
The zygote undergoes a
number of ordinary mitotic
divisions that increase the
number of cells in the zygote
but not its overall size.
Each cycle of division takes
about 24 hours.
The individual cells are known
as blastomers.
After fertilization the zygote
starts segmentation
(cleavage), descend in the
uterine tube to reach the
uterine cavity & then starts its
implantation in the
endometrium of the uterus.
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Division of the zygote into
blastomeres begins
approximately 30 hours after
fertilization.
Morula (32 cells) is developed 4
days after fertilization.
Bastocyst is developed 5 days
after fertilization.
Implantation of the blastocyst
starts at the 5th or 6th days of
fertilization and implantation in
the endometrium of the uterus
is completed at 11th of
fertilization.
By the end of the 2nd week of
fertilization & the zygote
becomes chorionic vesicle.
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DESCRIBE THE BALASTOCYST?
After the morula enters the
uterus approximately 4 days
after fertilization), a fluid-filled
space called the blastocystic
cavity appears inside the
morula.
Two cell types are forming
(blastocyst):
1.Embryoblast (inner cell mass on
the inside of the blastocele).
Inner cell mass develops to
embryo proper
Epiblast (10ectoderm)
Hypoblast(10endoderm
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2. Trophoblast
Thin outer mass gives
rise to placenta
Cytothrophoblast
Synctiotrophoblast

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 Embryonic stem cells /ESCs
ESCs are derived from the inner cell mass of the embry
Are pluripotent and can form virtually any cell or tissue
type.
 They have the potential for curing a variety of diseases:
diabetes, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, anemia,
spinal cord injuries…
ESCs may be obtained from embryos after in vitro
fertilization

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Adult stem cells
Adult tissues contain stem cells that also may prove
valuable in treating diseases
They are restricted in their ability to form different cell
types and slow rates of cell division
Implantation
It is the process by which the blastocyst burrows into and
embeds within the endometrium (the inside mucosal
lining of the uterus).
• Implantation begins by the end of the first week & ends by the end of the second week

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Approx. 6 days after
fertilization , the blastocyst
attaches to the endometrial
epithelium (usually the
embryonic pole)
As the blastocyst attaches, the
trophoblast starts to
proliferate rapidly and
differentiates into layers:
1. An inner layer of
cytotrophoblast
2. An outer layer of
syncytiotrophoblast
 By the end of the first week,
the blastocyst is
superficially implanted in
the compact layer of the
endometrium.
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Normal implantation zone of the blastocyst in the
superior and posterior wall of the uterine cavity.
Schematically, three implantation stages can be
distinguished:·
implantation of the blastocyst on the endometrium
Adhesion of the blastocyst to the endometrium
Invasion of the trophoblast and embedding

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