MANILA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Taft Ave., cor. Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila

GENERAL BIOLOGY II

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Section: ________________________________
▪ In humans, gestation lasts about 266 days (38
weeks)
Human Development ▪ Gestation in mice, lasts only about 1 month
▪ At the extreme, elephants have a 22-month
gestation period.

Overview of Developmental Events

❖ Cleavage- starts about 24 hours after fertilization

and continues as the embryo moves down the
oviduct toward the uterus
❖ produced about 100 cells
❖ the embryo is now a hollow
ball (blastocyst)
❖ Blastocyst- the mammalian
equivalent of the sea urchin
blastula
❖ The embryo has reached the uterus by the 6th or
7th day after fertilization
❖ Human blastocyst- has a fluid-filled cavity, an
inner cell mass that will actually form the baby

Pregnancy or gestation- is the carrying of

developing young within the female reproductive
tract.
❖ it begins at contraception,
the fertilization of the egg by
a sperm and continues until
the birth of baby. Blastocyst (6 days after contraception)

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 Trophoblast- an outer layer of cells
-secrete enzymes that enable the
blastocyst to implant in the
endometrium (uterine lining)
Blastocyst -starts to implant in the uterus about a
week after contraception.

Three-layered embryo and four extraembryonic

membranes 16days

Four extraembryonic membranes- the human

embryo is like the embryos of all other
mammals, birds, and reptiles (such as the lizards)
❖ The embryo itself (excluding the membranes)-
Implantation under way (about 7 days) develops from the three inner layers
1. Ectoderm- outer part of the embryo’s skin;
❖ The extensions of trophoblast spreading into the
continuous with the amnion
endometrium consist of multiplying cells
2. Endoderm- the embryo’s digestive tract;
❖ The trophoblast cells eventually form part of the
continuous with the yolk sac
placenta.
3. Mesoderm- the bulk of most other organs
❖ Placenta- the organ that provides nourishment
and oxygen to the embryo and helps dispose of
its metabolic wastes.

Placenta formed (31days)

Embryonic layers and extraembryonic ❖ By this time, the amnion has grown to enclose
membranes starting to form (9days) the embryo
❖ The amniotic cavity- is filled with fluid, which
Gastrulation – under way by 9 days after protects the embryo
conception ❖ The amnion usually breaks just before childbirth
❖ Extraembryonic membranes- develop as and the amniotic fluid (“water”) leaves the
attachments to the embryo and help support it. mother’s body through her vagina.
Three of these membranes ❖ In humans and most other mammals, the yolk
1. the amnion- (from purple cells) sac contains no yolk, but is given the same
2. the yolk sac- (from yellow cells) name as the homologous structure in other
3. the chorion- (partly from trophoblast) vertebrates.
❖ There is already evidence of the embryonic ▪ In a bird or reptile egg- the yolk sac
layers- ectoderm (blue), endoderm (yellow) and contains a large mass of yolk
mesoderm (pink) ❖ a developing bird or reptile
Allontois – the fourth extraembryonic obtains nourishment from
membrane
-developing as an extension of the yolk sacs
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 the yolk rather than from a -however, the placenta can also be a source of
placenta. trouble, a number of viruses- the German
❖ Placenta- remains small and measles virus and HIV for example can cross the
produces the embryo’s first placenta.
blood cells and its first germ German measles- can cause serious birth defects
cells, the cells that will give HIV infected babies- usually die of AIDS within a
rise to the gamete-forming few years.
cells in the gonads. -Most drugs, also cross the placenta and many
The allantois- also remains small in mammals. can harm the developing embryo
- it forms part of the umbilical cord Alcohol and chemicals in tobacco smoke- raise
(lifeline between the embryo and the the chances of miscarriage and birth defects.
placenta) Alcohol- can cause a set of birth defects called
- forms the embryo’s urinary bladder fetal alcohol syndrome, which includes mental
- In a bird and reptiles, the allantois retardation.
expands around the embryo and
functions in waste disposal. Why does testing for HCG in a woman’s
The chorion- outermost extraembryonic membrane urine or blood work as an early test for
-developed from the trophoblast and from pregnancy?
mesoderm cells derived from the yolk sac.
- becomes the embryo’s part of the
placenta.
- cells in the chorion secrete a hormone
called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) Human development from conception to birth is divided
-HCG- maintains the corpus luteum of the into three trimesters.
ovary during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
- In turn the corpus luteum- continues to First trimester
secrete estrogen and progesterone into the
mother’s blood. Without these hormones,
menstruation would occur, and the embryo
would abort spontaneously.

Chorionic villi- outgrowths , larger and contain

mesoderm
- contain embryonic blood vessels
formed from mesoderm
- bathed in tiny pools of maternal blood
- the mother’s blood and embryo’s blood 5 weeks
are not in direct contact ▪ A month-old human embryo is about 7mm (0.28in)
- however, the chorionic villi, absorb long and has a number of features common with
nutrients and oxygen from the mother’s somite stage of a frog embryo.
blood and passes these substances to ▪ Fetus- about 9 weeks after fertilization
the embryo via the chorionic blood -the clear sac around the fetus is the amnion
vessels color red -by this time, the fetus is decidedly human, rather
- the blue chorionic blood vessels carry than generally vertebrate.
wastes away from the embryo. -it is about 5.5 cm (2.2in) long and has all of its
- the waste diffuse into the mother’s organs and major body parts, including a
bloodstream and are excreted by her disproportionately large head.
kidneys -the somites have developed into segmental
Placenta- takes care of the embryo’s every need muscles and the bones of the back and ribs.
-it even allows protective antibodies to pass -the limb buds have become tiny arms and legs
from the mother to the fetus. with fingers and toes.

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- can move its arms and legs, turn its head, frown ▪ At 20 weeks, the fetus is about 19 cm (7.6
and make sucking motion with its lips. in) longs, weighs about half a kilogram
-by the end of 1st trimester- the fetus looks like a (1lb)
miniature human being, although its head is still ▪ Face of an infant, complete with
oversized for the rest of the body. eyebrows and eyelashes
-the sex of the fetus is usually evident at this ▪ Its arms, legs, fingers and toes have
time. lengthened
▪ It also has fingernails and toenails and is
covered with fine hair
▪ By this time, the fetal heartbeat is readily
detected, and the fetus usually is quite
active
▪ The mother’s abdomen has become
markedly enlarged and she may often
feel her baby move
▪ Because of the limited space in the
uterus, the fetus flexes forward into the
so-called fetal position
▪ By the end of 2nd trimester, the fetus eyes
are open and its teeth are forming.

Second trimester
▪ The main developmental changes during
the second and third trimesters involve
an increase in size and general
refinement of the human feature
Third trimester
▪ 28 weeks to birth
▪ A time of rapid growth as the fetus gains the
strength it will need to survive outside the
protective environment of the uterus.
▪ Babies born prematurely as early as 24 weeks
may survive, but they require special medical
care after birth
▪ During the third trimester, the fetus’ circulatory
system and respiratory system undergo changes
that will allow the switch to air breathing.
14 weeks (2 weeks into 2nd trimester) ▪ The fetus gains the ability to maintain its own
▪ The fetus is now about 6 cm (2.4 in) long temperature and its bones begin to harden and
▪ The placenta takes over the task of its muscles thicken.
maintaining itself by secreting ▪ It also loses much of its fine body hair, except on
progesterone rather than receiving it its head
from corpus luteum ▪ The head itself changes its proportions
▪ At the same time, the placenta stops ▪ The fetus becomes less active as it fills the space
secreting HCG and the corpus luteum no in the uterus
longer needed to maintain pregnancy, ▪ At birth, a typical baby is about 50 cm (20in) longs
degenerates and weighs 2.7-4.5 kg (6-10lbs)

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Certain drugs cause their most serious
damage to an embryo early in pregnancy,
often before the mother realizes she is
pregnant why?

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