Lecture 1:

From Fertilization to
Gastrulation
Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Why Embryology?
Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality.

Birth defects are a major contributor to morbidity,

including physical and mental handicaps.

All women of childbearing age are at risk of having an

infant with a birth defect. The incidence rate is 6/100
births.

Each of you will have contact with women of

childbearing age; either as a friend, as a companion,
or as a patient. Or you are one yourself.

MANY BIRTH DEFECTS CAN BE PREVENTED!

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
1st Prenatal Visit: 8 Weeks

before 3 weeks - discs

3-8 - embryonic period
8-38 - fetal period
22 wk babies have survived

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 The First Week

1st 3 cell divisions - every cell is tutipotent - each cell you can pull off and make whole new baby
after the 3rd division - pluerypotent
progestorone - keeps the endmetrial layer fat so baby can live

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

From the Morula Stage to Compaction

Morula (3 Days) Compacted Embryo

blastocyst - fluid inside
morula - solid

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Formation of the Blastocyst and Implantation

Syncytiotrophoblast

Cytotrophoblast

Blastocyst (4-5 Days) syncytiotrophoblast - hisImplanting

fav word
Blastocyst (6 Days)
embryoblast - turns in to embryo
synsyctio. - produce HcG
2 weeks after conception you should know about pregnancy

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Hydatidiform Moles
Formed from trophoblast
Paternal genome (genomic imprinting)
Secrete high levels of hCG
(syncytiotrophoblast)
May become invasive (choriocarcinomas)
hCG is part of what produces morning sickness
not a baby - must be removed
male genome bumps out female genome
very aggressive cancers that metastize

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 First Week of Development

can test pregnancy at 1 week. If you get a neg, you can check in 2 weeks

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Sites for Ectopic Pregnancies

if implanted in internal os -
problem

ectopic pregnancy - in fallopean

tube - typically remove them -
because they leave scar tissue

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Tubal Pregnancy
upper and lower limb buds - end of 4th week
6 weeks - longer limbs and face forming

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Ectopic Pregnancy in the Rectouterine (Douglas) Pouch

Text

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Assisted Reproductive
Technologies (ART)

Fertility treatments in which both the eggs and

sperm are handled in the laboratory (i.e., in vitro
fertilization and related procedures). Eggs and
sperm are placed in a culture medium; fertilized
eggs are placed in the uterus.

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 ART Cycles Performed, Live-Birth Deliveries, and
Live Babies Born Using ARTUS, 1996-2002

more babies than births

because of twins, etc
twins can go full term
triplets almost never
Quads - no
premature - respirtatory problems, neuro, etc.

115,392 procedures reported to CDC in 2002; 45,751 infants born after ART in US (1.1% of all births)
Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
 Adverse Outcomes Potentially
Associated with ART
Embryo effects singleton birth - single baby
births

Spontaneous abortions as we age - chance of errors

increases. test and HGH
increase growth

Multiple births -expect rich people to get

cancer
-

Adverse perinatal outcomes: low birth weight,

preterm delivery (even among singleton births)
Birth defects
Developmental disabilities
Childhood malignancies
Longer term outcomes?
Effects on puberty/future fertility
Effects on chronic disease risk
Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
lbw - low birth
weight
vlbw - very low Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
birth weight
Text

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Large Meta-Analysis Study

30-40% Increased Risk of Birth

Defects from ART

From: Hansen et al., Human Reproduction, 20: 328, 2005

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Implantation with Formation of Two Layers in the Embryoblast and the
Trophoblast

Implanting Blastocyst (6 Days) Implanted Embryo (7.5 Days)

at 7.5 days -started forming the bilmanir disc

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Early Trophoblast (Placental) and Embryonic Development

Oropharyngeal
membrane

Yolk sac
cavity

9 Days

13 Days
if not closed, you might get some spotting (blood would be more red - just blood)
-thats why you ask for when the last normal menstral cycle
12 Days some girls have 3 or 7 days periods
ovaulation can occur 3 days after cycle
periodsCopyright lot
can vary a 2013 Wolters
- could be 4Kluwer
weeks, Health
could be| Lippincott
8 months Williams & Wilkins
psychogenic pregnancies - women wanting to be pregnant their bodies can react that way, even if there isnt a baby - Dr. Jacksons
story of the Guatemalan lady
 Extraembryoni
c mesoderm
(Visceral layer)

(Parietal layer)

15
15Days
days

2nd Week = Week of Twos

Cytotrophoblast: Syncytiotrophoblast & Cytotrophoblast

Extraembryonic Mesoderm: Visceral (splanchnic) &

Parietal (somatic) Layers

Embryonic Disc: Epiblast & Hypoblast

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Formation of the Primitive Streak and Establishment of the Cranial-
Caudal Axis
oropharyngeal - mouth and nose

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE) Induces the Cranial Region

Text

BMPs: Hatched area = ventral mesoderm (kidneys

and body wall) and ectoderm

BMPs (goosecoid, brachyurea T) = dorsal mesoderm

(somites) and neural ectoderm

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Overexpression of Goosecoid in Frogs Causes Double-Headed
Tadpoles: Does It Cause This Defect in Humans?

Text

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 Genetic Regulation of Laterality

SHH - sonic hedgehog - one of Dr. Jacksons favorites - a gene that establishes left vs right

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Situs Inversus mirror image reversal

Kartagener syndrome (20%)

Cilia malfunction with situs inversus
(bronchiectasis and sinusitis) it effects the cilia and flagella

nicatine paralysizes the cilia in the lungs

when smokers stop smoking, they will cough a lot for a few days til their cilia
cilia in both the lungs or the fallopean tubes

Laterality Sequences
Left or right sidedness
Asplenia (right) spleen - blood filter - gets rid of old RBCs
works mechanically - RBCs are 7, openings are 2

Polysplenia (left)
if they can squish down, they are old and broken down

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Gastrulation: Formation of the 3 Germ Layers

Oropharyngeal
Oropharyngeal membrane membrane

14 Days 16 Days

endo, meso, ectoderm

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

During Gastrulation, Epiblast Cells Move Toward the Primitive Streak, Leave the
Epiblast, and Create 2 New Layers

Text Oropharyngeal membrane

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Formation of the Prechordal Plate and Notochord

Oropharyngeal membrane

Oropharyngeal
membrane

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Formation of the Notochord

CutClines for
B

Oropharyngeal
membrane

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

 The Three Germ Layers

Mesoderm
Ectoderm

Notochord Endoderm
(Part of the mesoderm)

Ectoderm: skin, CNS, PNS, eyes, internal ear,

neural crest cells (bones and connective tissue of
the face and part of the skull)

Mesoderm: bones, connective tissue, urogenital

system, cardiovascular system crunchy stuff

Endoderm: gut and gut derivatives (liver,

pancreas, lungs, etc.)

Copyright 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins