Week 1 Movie
From Embryology
<html5media height="260" width="660">File:Week1_001.mp4</html5media>
Animation summarising early development in the first week following fertilization
- The conceptus proceeds through embryonic cell cycle rounds of mitosis still enclosed within the zona pellucida. Progressing from a zygote, to blastomeres, then to a morula and finally to a blastocyst.
- The uterine tube epithelium consists of ciliated cells that are moving the secreted fluid towards the uterine body. The conceptus is floating "boat-like" within this fluid and moved in the same direction.
- Towards the end of the first week the blastocyst has reached the uterine body and from about day 5 onwards, the blastocyst "hatches" from the surrounding zona pellucida.
- The conceptus can now receive nutrition directly and can commence the process of implantation in week 2.