General Embryology

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. identify gametogenesis and compare the process in male and female; 2. classify the hormonal, ovarian and endometrial cycles, and how they are interconnected; 3. enumerate the preconditions, phases and consequences of fertilization and describe cleavage and implantation; 4. describe the second week of development as the week of twos, cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, epiblast and hypoblast, somatopleura and splanchnopleure, amniotic and yolk sac cavities; 5. discuss the establishment of body axes and fate maps during the gastrulation period (third week) and the role of genes in such process; 6. explain further development of the trophoblast during the third week of development; 7. identify the derivatives of the three germ layers and how they develop during the embryonic period (third to eighth week); and 8. describe the development of placenta and fetal membranes.

Gametogenesis. Cyclic changes in the female genital tract. Fertilization, cleavage, blastocyst, gastrulation and formation of germ layers. Segmentation of mesoderm. Folding of embryo foetal membranes. Umbilical cord and placentation. Development of limbs and teratology. Developmental anomalies and their clinical syndromes.