We will study human development over a series of 3 practical classes spanning the overall developmental timecourse. There will also be an additional class covering the extramebryonic tissues formed from the conceptus, the embryonic membranes and placenta.
Lab 3 - Fertilization to Implantation |
Lab 6 - Implantation to 8 Weeks |
Lab 11 - Fetal Period |
Lab 8 - Placenta-fetal Membranes |
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Aim: This laboratory is an introduction to the earliest event in development, fertilization of the ovum (egg) by sperm.
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Unfertilized Human Egg |
Fertilized Human Egg |
Key Concepts: Gonad, gametogenesis, ovary, testes, menstral cycle, oocyte development (oogenesis), sperm development (spermatogenesis), sperm morphology/motility, meiosis/mitosis, follicle, ovulation, zona pellucida, polar bodies, hormonal changes, mechanism of fertilization, post-fertilization changes, corpus luteum, zygote, morula, blastocyst, zona pellucida, embryoblast, trophoblast, ectopic implantation, abnormalities.
Key Reading:
Human Embryology, WJ. Larsen Chapter 1, 2, 3
The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. Moore & Persaud Chapter 1, 2
Link to next page in this Practical 3 - Other Online Resources
This provide additional external online background readings for this Practical.
Laboratory 6 Covers later stages of development in the fetus.
A simplified description of terms.
Advanced note - a few genes are also located in each cell outside the nucleus, in mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA) which are involved in cellular respiration. These mitochondrial genes are always inherited from your mother (the egg) not your father (sperm).
Movie of Human Embryo Growth (this shows a human embryo growing, all images are to scale)
Movie of Mouse Embryo Growth (this shows a mouse embryo growing)
Welcome to your first Practical class in Embryology with me in the new medical curriculum!
We begin with the generation of gametes (egg and sperm) in gonads (ovary and testes), their coming together in the complex act of ferilization and the formation of the first cell, the zygote and it development in the first 2 weeks including the process of implantation.
Of all the steps we take in life, this combination of parental genomes specifies and sets much of what we will become and how our health outcomes will develop through our lives. Think about what these genetic setting mean and what other developmental consequences will eventually impact on patient health.
More recently the impact of birth control, in vitro fertilization techniques, "stem cell" research, ethical and legal issues, and social changes in reproductive decisions has focussed public attention on this critical biological event.
This class is going to take you through the earliest steps in human development using linked online resources you will use in the actual class.
The lefthand side menu has links to all pages (in sequence) required for this Lab, alternatively follow the white rabbit.... Also at the bottom of the same menu is a window to Search UNSW Embryology using any term/concept you do not understand. (note the search window uses Google, so will only work with an active internet connection.
If you are interested in a more detailed coverage, look at the Early Development 1 and Early Development 2 sections of Notes (from the lefthand menu).
These notes and linked materials have been prepared for Educational purposes only.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.
Home Page
Embryo stages
Fetal Dev
Dev Notes 1
Dev Notes 2
System Notes
Acknowledgements
Practical 3
Introduction
Background- Online Refs
Background- Histology
Ovary
Gametes
Week 1 Overview
Fertilization
Early Division
Implantation
Day 8-9
Day 10-12
Day 13-14
Stage 6-7
Gastrulation
Week 3
Notochord
Practical 4
Practical 11
Lecture 5
Lecture 6
Movies
News
Class Notes
Serial Images
K12 Students
Abnormal
Histology
Site Map
School of Med Sci
UNSW Medicine
University of NSW
UNSW Cell Biology
NCBI Books
Dev Biol (Gilbert)