Lecture - 2014 Course Introduction

A Course Introduction

From this

to this in 9 months

Course coordinator

This first lecture will be a general introduction to the course and the subject of Embryology. Firstly, an introduction to the course, its content and assessment and an opportunity to ask questions. Secondly, some historic background to the subject and related current Australian trends. MH - I do not expect you to remember specific historic dates or statistical data, this is provided as an introduction to the topic.

Objectives

<html5media height="384" width="352">File:Human development 001.mp4</html5media> Click Here to play on mobile device

Understand the course objectives and assessment. Brief understanding of Australian statistical data. Broad overview of Human Development.  ‎‎Human Development Page | Play

ANAT2341 Course Background 2014

I will spend the first half going through the current course design, online support and assessment criteria. This is an opportunity to ask the course coordinator questions about the course.

The first 8 weeks of human development.

Links: Course Homepage

Textbooks

Either of the textbooks listed below are recommended for this course and page references to both are given in each lecture. Both textbooks available at campus bookshop. There are additional embryology textbooks that can also be used, consult course organizer. See also Embryology Textbooks

The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (9th ed.)

Keith L. Moore, T.V.N. Persaud, Mark G. Torchia. (2011). The Developing Human: clinically oriented embryology (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. Description: xix, 540 p. p. : ill., ports. Publisher: Philadelphia, PA : Saunders/Elsevier, c2013. ISBN: 9781437720020 (pbk.) NLM Unique ID: 101561564 The following chapter links only work with a UNSW connection.

Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Developing Human Chapter 2 – First Week of Human Development Chapter 3 – Second Week of Human Development Chapter 4 – Third Week of Human Development Chapter 5 – Fourth to Eighth Weeks of Human Development Chapter 6 – Ninth Week to Birth: The Fetal Period Chapter 7 - Placenta and Fetal Membranes Chapter 8 – Body Cavities and Diaphragm Chapter 9 – Pharyngeal Apparatus, Face, and Neck Chapter 10 – Respiratory System Chapter 11 – Alimentary System

Chapter 12 - Urogenital System Chapter 13 - Cardiovascular System Chapter 14 - Skeletal System Chapter 15 - Muscular System Chapter 16 – Development of Limbs Chapter 17 – Nervous System Chapter 18 – Development of Eyes and Ears Chapter 19 – Integumentary System Chapter 20 – Human Birth Defects Chapter 21 – Common Signaling Pathways Used During Development Appendix : Discussion of Clinically Oriented Problems

Larsen’s Human Embryology (4th ed.)

Schoenwolf, G.C., Bleyl, S.B., Brauer, P.R. and Francis-West, P.H. (2009). Larsen’s Human Embryology (4th ed.). New York; Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. The following chapter links only work with a UNSW connection and can also be accessed through this UNSW Library connection.

Chapter 1 - Gametogenesis, Fertilization, and First Week Chapter 2 - Second Week: Becoming Bilaminar and Fully Implanting Chapter 3 - Third Week: Becoming Trilaminar and Establishing Body Axes Chapter 4 - Fourth Week: Forming the Embryo Chapter 5 - Principles and Mechanisms of Morphogenesis and Dysmorphogenesis Chapter 6 - Fetal Development and the Fetus as Patient Chapter 7 - Development of the Skin and Its Derivatives Chapter 8 - Development of the Musculoskeletal System Chapter 9 - Development of the Central Nervous System

Chapter 10 - Development of the Peripheral Nervous System Chapter 11 - Development of the Respiratory System and Body Cavities Chapter 12 - Development of the Heart Chapter 13 - Development of the Vasculature Chapter 14 - Development of the Gastrointestinal Tract Chapter 15 - Development of the Urogenital System Chapter 16 - Development of the Pharyngeal Apparatus and Face Chapter 17 - Development of the Ears and Eyes Chapter 18 - Development of the Limbs

Publisher Links: The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology | Larsen’s Human Embryology

Recent History

1965 - Neural Crest Research Nicole Le Douarin.

1977 - Thalidomide and its affects on development. Thalidomide

1978 - First IVF baby born. In Vitro Fertilization

1996 - "Dolly the sheep" First adult somatic cell cloning using the process of nuclear transfer.

Nobel Prizes

Louise Brown, the first IVF baby as an adult.

Much of the modern history of Medicine/Embryology is documented in the Nobel Prizes for Medicine. Remember that these award dates reflect findings that have proven to be scientific key breakthroughs from earlier dates.

• 1986 discoveries of growth factors
• 1995 genetic control of early embryonic development
• 2002 cell cycle
• 2002 cell death
• 2007 embryonic stem cells
• 2010 development of in vitro fertilisation (More? Assisted Reproductive Technology)

21st Century

Stem cell artificial trachea and bronchi

• 2000 - Human Genome Complete Human Genome
• 2001 talk given by Robert Winston "Engineering Reproduction: Will We Still Be Human At The End of the 21st Century".
• 2009 - Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) Stem Cells
• 2011 - First Successful Transplantation of a Synthetic Tissue Engineered Windpipe Karolinska Institute | University College London | BBC News

"An international team designed and built the nanocomposite tracheal scaffold and produced a specifically designed bioreactor used to seed the scaffold with the patient´s own stem cells. The cells were grown on the scaffold inside the bioreactor for two days before transplantation to the patient. Because the cells used to regenerate the trachea were the patient's own, there has been no rejection of the transplant and the patient is not taking immunosuppressive drugs."

• 2012 - MRI of Childbirth

‎‎Human Birth MRI Page | Play

Links: Embryology History

Human Development Overview

Australian Developmental Abnormalities

Australian Data 1981-92

The ten most frequently reported birth defects in Victoria between 2003-2004

1. Hypospadias
2. Obstructive Defects of the Renal Pelvis or Obstructive Genitourinary Defects
3. Ventricular Septal Defect
4. Congenital Dislocated Hip
5. Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome
6. Hydrocephalus
7. Cleft Palate
8. Trisomy 18 or Edward Syndrome - multiple abnormalities of the heart, diaphragm, lungs, kidneys, ureters and palate 86% discontinued.
9. Renal Agenesis/Dysgenesis - reduction in neonatal death and stillbirth since 1993 may be due to the more severe cases being identified in utero and being represented amongst the increased proportion of terminations (approximately 31%).
10. Cleft Lip and Palate - occur with another defect in 33.7% of cases.

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  Hypospadia

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  Obstructive Defect of the Renal Pelvis

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  Ventricular Septal Defect

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  Congenital dislocation hip

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  Trisomy 21 male

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  Hydrocephalus

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  Cleft palate

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  Trisomy 18 male

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  Bilateral cleft palate

Teratology

Teratology is the study of abnormalities of development. Some examples of historic teratology studies.

• Rubella <pubmed>1879476</pubmed>
• Thalidomide <pubmed>331548</pubmed>

Links: Human Abnormal Development | Thalidomide | TORCH Infections | History of Teratology | eMJA - Gregg's congenital rubella

Human Development Timeline

Movies

‎‎Human Embryo Page | Play

‎‎Human Birth MRI Page | Play

‎‎Human Development Page | Play

‎‎Fetal Development Page | Play

‎‎Human Timeline Page | Play

Lecture 2 - Fertilization

External Links

External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the internet may mean that some of these listed links may no longer function. If the link no longer works search the web with the link text or name. Links to any external commercial sites are provided for information purposes only and should never be considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is provided as an educational resource with no clinical information or commercial affiliation.

The following are links to free iBooks available for background reading.

Gray's Embryology

iTunes link | iBooks Store Description - an extract of the embryology content from Anatomy of the Human Body By Henry Gray Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1918. Releases First Edition - Jan 2012 Second Edition - March 2012 Repaired formatting and image display issues related to Pad rotated display and minor editing issues. Print length 169 pages, 41.6 MB, Language English. The current website also includes numerous images from this textbook (see Category:Gray's 1918 Anatomy).

The Carnegie Staged Embryos

iTunes link | iBook Store Description - Imagine the excitement of seeing this incredible early period of human development for the first time. Now consider that much of our initial understanding of human development is based upon study of historic embryo collections. You can now look at these historic images of the first 8 weeks after fertilisation and explore for yourself the changes that occur in human development during this key period. This current book is designed as an atlas of the Carnegie embryo stages with some brief notes and additional information covering the first 8 weeks of development. These images are from from the beginning of last century and are one of the earliest documented series of human embryos collected for basic research and medical education on development. I hope you enjoy learning about the amazing early events that begin to make and shape us. This is the second book in a series of educational releases from UNSW Embryology. Release: First Edition - Mar 12, 2012 ISBN 978-0-7334-3148-7 Print Length 82 Pages, 25.8 MB Language English. PDF Preview version 3.87 MB (Read the associated information, this is an edited educational preview version with many features not functioning). The current website also includes numerous embryo images from this textbook (see Embryonic Development and Carnegie Embryos).

2014 Course: Week 2 Lecture 1 Lecture 2 Lab 1 | Week 3 Lecture 3 Lecture 4 Lab 2 | Week 4 Lecture 5 Lecture 6 Lab 3 | Week 5 Lecture 7 Lecture 8 Lab 4 | Week 6 Lecture 9 Lecture 10 Lab 5 | Week 7 Lecture 11 Lecture 12 Lab 6 | Week 8 Lecture 13 Lecture 14 Lab 7 | Week 9 Lecture 15 Lecture 16 Lab 8 | Week 10 Lecture 17 Lecture 18 Lab 9 | Week 11 Lecture 19 Lecture 20 Lab 10 | Week 12 Lecture 21 Lecture 22 Lab 11 | Week 13 Lecture 23 Lecture 24 Lab 12
Student Projects - Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7 | Group 8 | Moodle

Glossary Links

Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Symbols | Term Link

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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2026, March 1) Embryology Lecture - 2014 Course Introduction. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Lecture_-_2014_Course_Introduction

What Links Here?

© Dr Mark Hill 2026, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G