FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE

FETUS; PLACENTA DEVELOPMENT.

• Fertilization is a complex multi-step process.

• Process of fusion of sperm with the ovum to form a
zygote.
• Henceforth, the journey of pregnancy begins.
• This journey lasts for 280 days, calculated using
Naegele’s Rule.
• Completed within 24 hours.
• Involves many steps which both the egg and the
sperm must undergo for a successful fertilization.
• These processes are: Development, Cellular, Biochemical and
Molecular.
1. DEVELOPMENT
• During the first weeks after fertilization, the zygote makes
changes and develops rapidly.
• 1st 8 weeks is known as the period of organogenesis and the
embryonic stage of development.
• Very important period of development.
• Teratogens affects the fetus at this period, however, the 1st 3
weeks may not be affected.
• From 3rd to 8th week, growth and function are affected.
• Weeks 9-37 are known as the fetal period, which is marked
with extensive growth and continuous differentiation of organ
systems.
• Respiratory system development is completed just prior to
birth, while gametogenesis does not complete during the
embryonic or fetal phase. However, in both sexes, it begins in
the fetal period through puberty. This process results in the
production of the ovum and the sperm.
• Before being a gametogonia, the development of the gametes
are the same in both sexes . However, at the 10th week, they
become differentiated.
• Primordial germ cells migrate from the dorsal endoderm of
the york sac to the hindgut of the gonadal ridge and go into
mitotic division and becomes the gametogonia.

2. CELLULAR
• Soon after fertilization, the zygote undergoes quick cellular
changes.
• The zygote (a single cell ) undergoes mitosis to create many
cells. On reaching the 32-cell stage, it becomes a morula
• Day 4 begins blatulation and cavities begin to form by first
forming a hollow ball. ? If the timing affects implantation.
• Now we have two cell types-the inner and outer. The inner is
called the inner cell mass while the outer is called the
trophoblast.
• The trophoblast helps form the placenta while the inner cell
mass becomes the embryo.
• The inner cell mass further differentiate into the epiblast and
the hypoblast. This hypoblast later becomes the primitive york
sac and the epiblast becomes the amniotic sac.
• At this point, the entity is a blastula, and the zona pellucida is
gone allowing growth and differentiation.
• At 3rd week, tubes will form(gastrulation phase). Thre are 3
layers of cell that will make up different organ systems- the
• Endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm.
• Ectoderm forms epidermis, nails, hair, peripheral nervous
system, brain and spinal cord.
• Mesoderm forms the muscle, bone, connective tissue,
notochord, kidney, gonads, and circulatory system.
• The endoderm forms the epithelial lining of the digestive
tract, stomach, colon , liver bladder and pancreas.
• At 16-weeks, the primitive streak forms and establishes the
midline of the body.
• Next stage is neurulation when the notocord induces the
ectoderm to form the neural tube that becomes the brain
and spinal cord.
• Mesoderm divides into axial, paraxial, intermediate, and
lateral plate that gives rise to body parts. Paraxial forms
somites which differentiate into cartilage, muscle, bone and
dermis.
• The intermediate mesoderm becomes the urogenital system
while the lateral plate mesoderm becomes the heart and
vessels.
• The ectoderm becomes the GIT. The ectoderm meete the
endoderm to form the mouth and the anus-an important
gene (DKK1) regulate this mechanism; without which an
imperforate anus with a rectourinary fistula results.
3. BIOCHEMICAL
• Several biochemical changes occur for fertilization to take
place. It starts as soon as the sperm gets to the vagina.
• It undergoes capacitation to have increased motility and
metabolism to get to the fallopian tube. This is because of the
acidic nature of the vagina. It activates the ATP enzymes in the
cytosol of the sperm.
• The acrosome contains lysosomal enzymes which are released
by exocytosis and required for penetration of the sperm.
• Hyaluronidase that is contained in the acrosome, digests the
cells embedded in hyaluronic acid that sorrunds the oocyte.
• This makes the acrosin in the inner layer of the sperm to digest
the zona pellucida.
• At the end of acrosome reaction, no further sperm can
penetrate the zona pellucida.
• What is the advantage of this?-No trisomy zygote.
4. MOLECULAR
• Spermatozoa has differences in DNA fragmentation, motility,
morphology and sensitivity to signalling molecules.
• Sperm and egg are two haploid nuclei that join to form a diploid
nucleus. After this, mitotic division begins.
• A centriole provided by the sperm helps organize and assemble
the mitotic spindle.
5. FUNCTION
• To give rise to diploid zygote
• Once sperm has entered, no more penetration of another
sperm
• The sex of the embryo is determined soon after fertilization
based on the presence or absence of a Y chromosome that
contains the SRY gene called the testis-determing factor or
sex-determing region Y.
• MECHANISM
• A follicle MUST mature from an oocyte to a Graafian follicle to
be ready for fertilization.
• This follicle will be released and it travels to the fallopian
tube. Days of survival of the spermatozoa in the female
reproductive tract varies up to 72 hours. However, 10 hours
can guarantee fertilization.
• Fertilization MUST take place within 24 hours after ovulation.
• The ovum has two layers the sperm must penetrate-the
corona radiata and the zona pellucida.
• Corona radiata is penetrated first, then acrosome reaction to
give access to the secondary oocyte.
 PLACENTA DEVELOPMENT
• The trophoblastic lineage is the first to differentiate from the inner
cell mass or embryoblast at the transition between the morula and
blastocyst.
• Following its attachment to the endometrial lining, further
development of the trophoblast occurs.
• The first is the creation of an outer layer of fused trophoblast cells
called the syncytiotrophoblast which is in direct contact with the
maternal tissues and therefore, the first layer from the conceptus
to encounter and subsequently, penetrate the uterine epithelium
capillaries.
• At day 7-8 after conception (prelacunar stage), the blastocyst has
completely crossed the uterine epithelium. It gets embedded in the
decidualized
endometrial stroma.
• The developing embryo is completely sorrounded by the
developing placenta.
• This developing placenta has two subtypes of the trophoblast-
the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast which is in direct
contact with the maternal tissues and the mononucleated
cytotrophoblast as the stem cell layer of the trophoblast
which is directed towards the embryo.
• The lacunar stage is day 8-9. Here, the syncyiotrophoblast
generates a number of fluid-filled spaces within its mass.
These spaces flow together to form larger lacunae.
• At the end of this process, by day 12 post conception,
implacentation would have been completed and the embryo
with its sorrounding extraembryonic tissue is completely in
the decidualized endometrium.
• The syncytiotrophoblast then sorrounds the entire conceptus.
• Mesenchymal cells from the embryo spread in the surface of
the trophoblast (extraembryonic mesoderm) to form the
chorion- additional mesenchymal layer on top of the inner
surface of the trophoblast.
• Do not forget that the derives its intrauterine life from the
placenta supplying it nutrients and gas exchange through the
veins and arteries connected to the mother.
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