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Pregnancy & Human Development. Ex. 44. Fertilization: It’s all in the timing!. Oocyte is only viable for ~ 24 hours. Sperm is viable for 12 – 24 hours (some “super sperm” may be viable for up to 72 so be careful!)
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Fertilization: It’s all in the timing! • Oocyte is only viable for ~ 24 hours. • Sperm is viable for 12 – 24 hours (some “super sperm” may be viable for up to 72 so be careful!) • Therefore, usually, coitus must occur within a 24 hour window on either side of ovulation.
Barriers to fertilization • Low vaginal pH • Getting lost (50/50 chance of getting the right uterine tube) • Numerous defective sperm • Uterine contractions • Phagocytes • By the time they get to the oocyte, there are only a few dozen to a couple hundred
Penetration Secondaryoocyte Head of sperm 1650X
What’s this thing called, Love? • Zygote – a the single cell after fusion of the pronuclei of the oocyte & the sperm. • Conceptus – covers the period of develop following first cleavage and differentiation of cells into an embryo. • Morula – the conceptus as a solid ball of 16 cells (about day 3). • Blastocyst – a hollow ball of cells, from day 4. “Hatching” occurs at this stage, when the blastocyst emerges from the zona pellucida.
Then what ? • The blastocyst differentiates into: • the trophoblast, the outer ball of cells that eventually becomes the placenta and “extraembryonic” membranes. • the inner cell mass (ICM) becomes the embryo. • The above occurs over the course of the second week following conception. • Implantation – occurs on about day 6 or so, as the blastocyst burrows into the endometrium.
Embryonic Development Differentiation of the three primary germ layers
Gastrulation Formation of the primitive gut
The Primary Germ Layers ECTODERM MESODERM ENDODERM