Human Embryology

Bio 203
Dr. Derek Doroski

He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the
finest view of them.
-Aristotle
 NCBC

• National Catholic
Bioethics Center

• www.ncbcenter.org
 CMA

• Catholic Medical
Association

• www.cathmed.org
 Embryology
• The study of development from fertilization
to birth
– Fertilization: the fusion of the sperm and “egg”
 Developmental Events
• Major events

Pregnancy
 Developmental Events
• Fertilization: fusion
of sperm and “egg”
• Cleavage: early
divisions in the
embryo

Gast Organogenesis
 Developmental Events
• Blastulation: creation of a hollow cavity

Gast Organogenesis
Developmental Events
• Gastrulation: migration of
cells to form major tissue
layers

Gast Organogenesis
 Developmental Events
• Organogenesis: development of organs
 Developmental Stages
• Stages
– Embryo
• Early embryo
• Embryonic organogenesis
– Fetus
– Newborn

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy
 3

Developmental Stages
• Early embryo
– 1st three weeks
– Dated by fertilization age

0 weeks 1 2

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy
 3

Developmental Stages
• Early embryo
– Fertilization to gastrulation
– Cells created, but organs not yet
forming

0 weeks 1 2

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy
 Developmental Stages
7
• Embryonic organogenesis
– Shape of structures change
– Weeks 4-8 5
– Organs form
0 weeks 1 4
2 3

Organogensis
EE EO Fetus
 28
Developmental Stages
12 17 23
7
• Fetus
– 9 weeks – birth
(~38 weeks)
Birth (38)
– Organs generally 33
have mature shape
– Organs develop
further functions

EE EO Fetus
 General Terminology
• Conception: beginning of life
– Starts at fertilization
• Pregnancy: the condition of a
woman carrying developing
offspring in her body
– From fertilization until she
gives birth
 General Terminology
• Conceptus: the
zygote/embryo/fetus
– Parts
• Embryo proper/fetus
proper
• Extraembryonic
membranes/extrafetal
membranes
 General Terminology
• Conceptus
– Embryo proper/fetus
proper: parts of
embryo/fetus that
contribute to structures
that remain after birth
 General Terminology
• Conceptus
– Extraembryonic/extrafetal
membranes: parts of
embryo/fetus that don’t
remain after birth
• Ex: umbilical cord,
placenta
 Dating Pregnancy
• Fertilization age
– Age of conceptus
– Starts at fertilization
– Generally used by
embryologists

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy
 Dating Pregnancy
• Menstrual age
– Time since onset of last menstrual period
– Provides an easy way to date pregnancy
– Generally used by medical professionals
(nurses, doctors)

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy using menstrual age
 Dating Pregnancy
• Menstrual age
– Menstrual age ≈ fertilization age + 2 weeks
• 2 weeks is the approximate time from the last
menstrual period to fertilization
• Timing of menstrual cycle can cause this to vary

EE EO Fetus
Pregnancy using menstrual age
 Dating Pregnancy
• Gestational age
– Imprecise term
indicating age of
conceptus
– Used synonymously
with both fertilization
age and menstrual age
EE EO Fetus
 Trimesters
• Trimesters
– Generally used by medical professionals
– Three roughly equal periods
• Each period is about 3 months
• Clinical time periods, not
developmental stages
• Dated from menstrual age
EE EO Fetus
1st Trimester 2nd Trimester 3rd Trimester