Blastocyst | |
---|---|
Details | |
Carnegie stage | 3 |
Days | 5–9 |
Gives rise to | Gastrula |
Identifiers | |
Latin | blastocystis |
MeSH | D001755 |
TE | E2.0.1.2.0.0.12 |
FMA | 83041 |
Anatomical terminology |
The blastocyst is a structure formed in the early embryonic development of mammals. It possesses an inner cell mass (ICM) also known as the embryoblast which subsequently forms the embryo, and an outer layer of trophoblast cells called the trophectoderm. [1] [2] This layer surrounds the inner cell mass and a fluid-filled cavity or lumen known as the blastocoel. [3] In the late blastocyst, the trophectoderm is known as the trophoblast. [2] The trophoblast gives rise to the chorion and amnion, the two fetal membranes that surround the embryo. The placenta derives from the embryonic chorion (the portion of the chorion that develops villi) and the underlying uterine tissue of the mother. [4] [5] The corresponding structure in non-mammalian animals is an undifferentiated ball of cells called the blastula.
In humans, blastocyst formation begins about five days after fertilization when a fluid-filled cavity opens up in the morula, the early embryonic stage of a ball of 16 cells. The blastocyst has a diameter of about 0.1–0.2 mm and comprises 100-200 cells following 7-8 rounds of cleavage (cell division without cell growth). About seven days after fertilization, [6] the blastocyst undergoes implantation, embedding into the endometrium of the uterine wall where it will undergo further developmental processes, including gastrulation. Embedding of the blastocyst into the endometrium requires that it hatches from the zona pellucida, the egg coat that prevents adherence to the fallopian tube as the pre-embryo makes its way to the uterus.
The use of blastocysts in in vitro fertilization (IVF) involves culturing a fertilized egg for five days before transferring it into the uterus. It can be a more viable method of fertility treatment than traditional IVF. The inner cell mass of blastocysts is the source of embryonic stem cells, which are broadly applicable in stem cell therapies including cell repair, replacement and regeneration. Assisted zona hatching may also be used in IVF and other fertility treatments.
The name "blastocyst" arises from the Greek βλαστόςblastós ("a sprout") and κύστιςkýstis ("bladder, capsule").
The blastocyst stage occurs between 5 and 9 days after conception. During embryonic development, after fertilization (approximately 5–6 days in the human), the cells of the morula begin to undergo cell differentiation, and the morula changes into the blastocyst by pumping fluid to grow a lumen. In the uterus the zona pellucida surrounding the blastocyst breaks down, allowing it to implant into the uterine wall. Implantation marks the end of the germinal stage of embryogenesis, and the beginning of gestation.[ medical citation needed ]
The zygote undergoes several rounds of mitosis. After the 3rd cleavage division, the embryo begins the process of compaction, which, in human, is only completed when the embryo consists of 8-16 cells, [7] [8] then becoming known as the morula. Compaction results from increased contractility of the actomyosin cortex, which pull cells together into a tighter configuration. [9] [10] Increased contractility during compaction is observed in both mouse and human embryos, [11] [12] but is stronger in humans, which could contribute to its fragmentation. [13] Until this developmental stage, cells (blastomeres) were not specified to any particular cell lineage but, when reaching the 16-cell stage, cells at the surface of the embryo begin to differentiate into trophectoderm while cells with inner position initiate their differentiation into inner cell mass fate. [14] The morula then develops by cavitation to become the blastocyst, or in many other animals the blastula. Cell differentiation then further commits the morula's cells into two types: trophectoderm cells that surround the lumen and the inner mass of cells (the embryoblast). The inner cell mass is at the origin of embryonic stem cells. [15] The conceptus is then known as the blastocyst. [16]
Before cell differentiation takes place there are two transcription factors, Oct-4 and nanog that are uniformly expressed in all cells, but both of these transcription factors are turned off in the trophoblast once it has formed. [17] The outer cells of the trophectoderm pump sodium ions into the blastocyst, which causes water to enter through osmosis. Water accumulation between cell-cell contacts breaks them open via hydraulic fracturing. [18] The fluid then collects into a single lumen in a process akin to Ostwald ripening to form the blastocoel, which determines the first axis of symmetry of the mammalian embryo. [19] The side of the blastocyst where the inner cell mass forms is called the embryonic pole, and the opposite side is the abembryonic pole. The blastocoel, trophectoderm, and inner cell mass are hallmarks of the blastocyst. [20]
Implantation is critical to the survival and development of the early human embryo. It establishes a connection between the mother and the early embryo which will continue through the remainder of the pregnancy. Implantation is made possible through structural changes in both the blastocyst and endometrial wall. [21] The zona pellucida surrounding the blastocyst breaches, referred to as hatching. This removes the constraint on the physical size of the embryonic mass and exposes the outer cells of the blastocyst to the interior of the uterus. Furthermore, hormonal changes in the mother, specifically a peak in luteinizing hormone (LH), prepare the endometrium to receive and envelop the blastocyst. The immune system is also modulated to allow for the invasion of the foreign embryonic cells. Once bound to the extracellular matrix of the endometrium, trophoblast cells secrete enzymes and other factors to embed the blastocyst into the uterine wall. The enzymes released degrade the endometrial lining, while autocrine growth factors such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) allow the blastocyst to further invade the endometrium. [22]
Implantation in the uterine wall allows for the next step in embryogenesis, gastrulation, which includes the formation of the placenta from trophoblastic cells and differentiation of the inner cell mass into the amniotic sac and epiblast.
There are two types of blastomere cells: [23]
The blastocoel fluid cavity contains amino acids, growth factors, and other molecules necessary for cellular differentiation. [27]
Multiple processes control cell lineage specification in the blastocyst to produce the trophoblast, epiblast, and primitive endoderm. These processes include gene expression, cell signaling, cell-cell contact and positional relationships, and epigenetics.
Once the inner cell mass has been established within the blastocyst, it prepares for further specification into the epiblast and primitive endoderm. This process of specification known as cell fate determination is carried out in part by fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling which generates a MAP kinase pathway to alter cellular genomes. [28] Further segregation of blastomeres into the trophectoderm and inner cell mass are regulated by the homeodomain protein, Cdx2. This transcription factor represses the expression of Oct4 and Nanog transcription factors in the trophoblast. [29] These genomic alterations allow for the progressive specification of both epiblast and primitive endoderm lineages at the end of the blastocyst phase of development preceding gastrulation. Much of the research conducted on these early embryonic stages is on mouse embryos and specific factors may differ between mammals.
During implantation, the trophoblast gives rise to extraembryonic membranes and cell types that will eventually form most of the fetal placenta, the specialized organ through which the embryo obtains maternal nourishment necessary for subsequent exponential growth. [30] The specification of the trophoblast is controlled by the combination of morphological cues arising from cell polarity with differential activity of signaling pathways such as Hippo and Notch, and the restriction to outer cells of lineage specifiers such as CDX2. [31]
In the mouse, primordial germ cells are specified from epiblast cells, a process that is accompanied by extensive genome-wide epigenetic reprogramming. [32] Reprogramming involves global DNA demethylation and chromatin reorganization resulting in cellular totipotency. [32] The process of genome-wide demethylation involves the DNA base excision repair pathway. [33]
Trophoblasts express integrin on their cell surfaces which allow for adhesion to the extracellular matrix of the uterine wall. This interaction allows for implantation and triggers further specification into the three different cell types, preparing the blastocyst for gastrulation. [34]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(December 2013) |
The level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secreted by the blastocyst during implantation is the factor measured in a pregnancy test. hCG can be measured in both blood and urine to determine whether a woman is pregnant. More hCG is secreted in a multiple pregnancy. Blood tests of hCG can also be used to check for abnormal pregnancies.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an alternative to traditional in vivo fertilization for fertilizing an egg with sperm and implanting that embryo into a female's womb. For many years the embryo was inserted into the uterus two to three days after fertilization. However at this stage of development it is very difficult to predict which embryos will develop best, and several embryos were typically implanted. Several implanted embryos increased the likelihood of a developing fetus but also led to the development of multiple fetuses. This was a major problem and drawback for using embryos in IVF.
The use of blastocysts for human IVF has proved successful. A blastocyst is implanted five to six days after the eggs have been fertilized. [35] After five or six days it is much easier to determine which embryos will result in healthy live births. Knowing which embryos will succeed allows just one blastocyst to be implanted, cutting down dramatically on the health risk and expense of multiple births. Now that the nutrient requirements for embryonic and blastocyst development have been determined, it is much easier to give embryos the correct nutrients to sustain them into the blastocyst phase.
Embryo transfer following in vitro fertilization is a procedure in which a catheter is inserted into the vagina, guided through the cervix via ultrasound, and into the uterine cavity where the blastocysts are inserted into the womb.
Blastocysts also offer an advantage because they can be used to genetically test the cells to check for genetic problems. There are enough cells in a blastocyst that a few trophectoderm cells can be removed without disturbing the developing blastocyst. These cells can be tested for chromosome aneuploidy using preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), or specific conditions such as cystic fibrosis, often known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). [36]
In an embryo transfer procedure following an initial ultrasound, a speculum is used to open the walls of the vagina, and using a catheter an embryo is passed through the tube for placement into the womb.
In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once it leaves the uterus.
Blastulation is the stage in early animal embryonic development that produces the blastula. In mammalian development, the blastula develops into the blastocyst with a differentiated inner cell mass and an outer trophectoderm. The blastula is a hollow sphere of cells known as blastomeres surrounding an inner fluid-filled cavity called the blastocoel. Embryonic development begins with a sperm fertilizing an egg cell to become a zygote, which undergoes many cleavages to develop into a ball of cells called a morula. Only when the blastocoel is formed does the early embryo become a blastula. The blastula precedes the formation of the gastrula in which the germ layers of the embryo form.
In biology, a blastomere is a type of cell produced by cell division (cleavage) of the zygote after fertilization; blastomeres are an essential part of blastula formation, and blastocyst formation in mammals.
The blastocoel, also spelled blastocoele and blastocele, and also called cleavage cavity, or segmentation cavity is a fluid-filled or yolk-filled cavity that forms in the blastula during very early embryonic development. At this stage in mammals the blastula is called the blastocyst, which consists of an outer epithelium, the trophectoderm, enveloping the inner cell mass and the blastocoel.
The trophoblast is the outer layer of cells of the blastocyst. Trophoblasts are present four days after fertilization in humans. They provide nutrients to the embryo and develop into a large part of the placenta. They form during the first stage of pregnancy and are the first cells to differentiate from the fertilized egg to become extraembryonic structures that do not directly contribute to the embryo. After blastulation, the trophoblast is contiguous with the ectoderm of the embryo and is referred to as the trophectoderm. After the first differentiation, the cells in the human embryo lose their totipotency because they can no longer form a trophoblast. They become pluripotent stem cells.
A germ layer is a primary layer of cells that forms during embryonic development. The three germ layers in vertebrates are particularly pronounced; however, all eumetazoans produce two or three primary germ layers. Some animals, like cnidarians, produce two germ layers making them diploblastic. Other animals such as bilaterians produce a third layer between these two layers, making them triploblastic. Germ layers eventually give rise to all of an animal's tissues and organs through the process of organogenesis.
In developmental biology, animal embryonic development, also known as animal embryogenesis, is the developmental stage of an animal embryo. Embryonic development starts with the fertilization of an egg cell (ovum) by a sperm cell (spermatozoon). Once fertilized, the ovum becomes a single diploid cell known as a zygote. The zygote undergoes mitotic divisions with no significant growth and cellular differentiation, leading to development of a multicellular embryo after passing through an organizational checkpoint during mid-embryogenesis. In mammals, the term refers chiefly to the early stages of prenatal development, whereas the terms fetus and fetal development describe later stages.
"Cytotrophoblast" is the name given to both the inner layer of the trophoblast or the cells that live there. It is interior to the syncytiotrophoblast and external to the wall of the blastocyst in a developing embryo.
The inner cell mass (ICM) or embryoblast is a structure in the early development of an embryo. It is the mass of cells inside the blastocyst that will eventually give rise to the definitive structures of the fetus. The inner cell mass forms in the earliest stages of embryonic development, before implantation into the endometrium of the uterus. The ICM is entirely surrounded by the single layer of trophoblast cells of the trophectoderm.
In amniote embryonic development, the epiblast is one of two distinct cell layers arising from the inner cell mass in the mammalian blastocyst, or from the blastula in reptiles and birds, the other layer is the hypoblast. It drives the embryo proper through its differentiation into the three primary germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, during gastrulation. The amniotic ectoderm and extraembryonic mesoderm also originate from the epiblast.
Implantation, also known as nidation, is the stage in the mammalian embryonic development in which the blastocyst hatches, attaches, adheres, and invades into the endometrium of the female's uterus. Implantation is the first stage of gestation, and, when successful, the female is considered to be pregnant. An implanted embryo is detected by the presence of increased levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in a pregnancy test. The implanted embryo will receive oxygen and nutrients in order to grow.
The bilaminar embryonic disc, bilaminar blastoderm or embryonic disc is the distinct two-layered structure of cells formed in an embryo. In the development of the human embryo this takes place by day eight. It is formed when the inner cell mass, also known as the embryoblast, forms a bilaminar disc of two layers, an upper layer called the epiblast and a lower layer called the hypoblast, which will eventually form into fetus. These two layers of cells are stretched between two fluid-filled cavities at either end: the primitive yolk sac and the amniotic sac.
Human embryonic development or human embryogenesis is the development and formation of the human embryo. It is characterised by the processes of cell division and cellular differentiation of the embryo that occurs during the early stages of development. In biological terms, the development of the human body entails growth from a one-celled zygote to an adult human being. Fertilization occurs when the sperm cell successfully enters and fuses with an egg cell (ovum). The genetic material of the sperm and egg then combine to form the single cell zygote and the germinal stage of development commences. Human embryonic development covers the first eight weeks of development, which have 23 stages, called Carnegie stages. At the beginning of the ninth week, the embryo is termed a fetus. In comparison to the embryo, the fetus has more recognizable external features and a more complete set of developing organs.
In amniote embryology, the hypoblast is one of two distinct layers arising from the inner cell mass in the mammalian blastocyst, or from the blastodisc in reptiles and birds. The hypoblast gives rise to the yolk sac.
Cavitation is a process in early embryonic development that follows cleavage. Cavitation is the formation of the blastocoel, a fluid-filled cavity that defines the blastula, or in mammals the blastocyst. After fertilization, cell division of the zygote occurs which results in the formation of a solid ball of cells (blastomeres) called the morula. Further division of cells increases their number in the morula, and the morula differentiates them into two groups. The internal cells become the inner cell mass, and the outer cells become the trophoblast. Before cell differentiation takes place there are two transcription factors, Oct-4 and nanog that are uniformly expressed on all of the cells, but both of these transcription factors are turned off in the trophoblast once it has formed.
Cell potency is a cell's ability to differentiate into other cell types. The more cell types a cell can differentiate into, the greater its potency. Potency is also described as the gene activation potential within a cell, which like a continuum, begins with totipotency to designate a cell with the most differentiation potential, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency, and finally unipotency.
After the blastocyst stage, once an embryo implanted in endometrium, the inner cell mass (ICM) of a fertilized embryo segregates into two layers: hypoblast and epiblast. The epiblast cells are the functional progenitors of soma and germ cells which later differentiate into three layers: definitive endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm. Stem cells derived from epiblast are pluripotent. These cells are called epiblast-derived stem cells (EpiSCs) and have several different cellular and molecular characteristics with Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). Pluripotency in EpiSCs is essentially different from that of embryonic stem cells. The pluripotency of EpiSCs is primed pluripotency: primed to differentiate into specific cell lineages. Naïve pluripotent stem cells and primed pluripotent stem cells not only sustain the ability to self-renew but also maintain the capacity to differentiate. Since the cell status is primed to differentiate in EpiSCs, however, one copy of the X chromosome in XX cells in EpiSCs is silenced (XaXi). EpiSCs is unable to colonize and is not available to be used to produce chimeras. Conversely, XX cells in ESCs are both active and can produce chimera when inserted into a blastocyst. Both ESC and EpiSC induce teratoma when injected in the test animals which proves pluripotency. EpiSC display several distinctive characteristics distinct from ESCs. The cellular status of human ESCs (hESCs) is similar to primed state mouse stem cells rather than naïve state.
Morphokinetics (‘morpho’’ form/shape and ‘kinetics’ movement) refers to time specific morphological changes during embryo development providing dynamic information on a fertilized egg. The detailed information eases morphological selection of embryos with high implantation potential to be used in In-Vitro Fertilisation treatment.
Reichert's membrane is an extraembryonic membrane that forms during early mammalian embryonic development. It forms as a thickened basement membrane to cover the embryo immediately following implantation to give protection to the embryo from the uterine pressures exerted. Reichert's membrane is also important for the maternofetal exchange of nutrients. The membrane collapses once the placenta has fully developed.
This glossary of developmental biology is a list of definitions of terms and concepts commonly used in the study of developmental biology and related disciplines in biology, including embryology and reproductive biology, primarily as they pertain to vertebrate animals and particularly to humans and other mammals. The developmental biology of invertebrates, plants, fungi, and other organisms is treated in other articles; e.g terms relating to the reproduction and development of insects are listed in Glossary of entomology, and those relating to plants are listed in Glossary of botany.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
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