MONTFORT SCHOOL

2023-2024

BIOLOGY PROJECT REPORT

TOPIC: HUMAN EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT

First and foremost, I want to express my appreciation to our respected Principal, Rev.
Bro. Robert. Your unwavering support and encouragement have been instrumental in
making this biology activity a reality. Your belief in our educational pursuits is deeply
valued.

I would also like to acknowledge our dedicated biology teacher, Mrs. A. Jenita
Hephzibah, whose guidance and expertise have played a pivotal role in our
understanding and enjoyment of the subject. Your passion for teaching and
commitment to our learning is genuinely appreciated.

I am grateful for the opportunity to engage in this activity, which has been a
tremendous learning experience. It is a testament to the dedication and commitment
of both our Principal and teacher.

With faith in God's grace and the support of our school, we will continue to strive for
excellence in all our academic pursuits. Thank you for believing in us and guiding us
on this educational journey.

Thank you for believing in us and guiding us on this educational journey.

With profound gratitude,

Joel E
 CONTENTS
1. Introduction 1
2. Historic Embryology 2-3
3. First Trimester 4-5
 From week 1 to 4
 From week 5 to 8
 From week 9 to 12
 Week 13
4. Second Trimester. 6-7
 From week 14 to 17
 From week 18 to 21
 From week 22 to 25
 From week 26 to 27
5. Third Trimester. 8-9
 From week 28 to 30
 From week 31 to 34
 From week 35 to 38
 From week 39 to 42
6. Some Recent Finding. 10

7. Conclusion. 11
 INTRODUCTION
Human development is one of the most exciting topics to study not only as a
medical student, but also for our fundamental understanding of the human body.
Of all health issues in Medicine, fertility and reproduction is a topic that will
affect everyone. Now a days, the interest in human development is widespread
largely because of curiosity about our beginnings and a desire to improve the
quality of human life. The process by which a baby develops from a single cell is
miraculous and few events are more exciting than a human birth.

Human development is a continuous process that begins when an ovum is

fertilized by a sperm. Cell division, growth, differentiation, and even cell death,
transform the fertilized ovum into a multicellular human being. Although
important maturational changes continue to occur during the postnatal period
(infancy, childhood, adolescence and even adulthood), the formation of the organ
systems occurs between fertilization and birth, the prenatal period. The four initial
stages of development are the morula stage, the blastula stage, the gastrula stage
and the neurula stage.

An embryo is an early stage of development of a multicellular diploid eukaryotic

organism. In general, in organisms that reproduce sexually, an embryo develops
from a zygote, the single cell resulting from the fertilization of the female egg cell
by the male sperm cell. Embryogenesis is the process by which the embryo forms
and develops. In mammals, the term refers chiefly to early stages of prenatal
development, whereas the term fetus and fetal development describe later stages.
Embryogenesis starts with the fertilization of the egg cell (ovum) by a sperm cell,
(spermatozoon).

HISTORIC EMBRYOLOGY
 Around 1400 BC Egyptians made reference to the placenta and
its importance as the seat of the external soul.
 Hippocrates and Aristotle are recognized as the first true embryologists.
 Hippocrates (460 BC–370 BC) believed that the embryo began development
by extracting moisture and breath from the mother and he identified a
series of condensations and fires that were responsible for the development
of bones, belly, and circulation in the embryo and fetus. He also supported
the view that the human fetus gained nourishment by sucking blood from
the placenta.
 Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC) studied embryos of different organisms by
opening up bird eggs at different stages of development and dissecting
mammalian and cold-blooded embryos. He observed that young embryos
of different species all possessed universal characteristics and that as the
embryos aged, differentiating characteristics arose.
 Galen’s (150 AD to 180 AD) main contribution to embryology was
his steadfast belief that the umbilical cord was necessary for
respiration.
 Albertus Magnus reawakened scientific embryology. Albert believed that
women had seeds and that seeds coagulated, much like cheese, after
coming in contact with male seeds. When a coagulated seed made contact
with menstrual blood, the seed now had the nutrition necessary for proper
development.
 Leonardo da Vinci was the first to provide evidence that embryos can be
measured chronologically and that they change in weight, size, and
shape over time. He is credited for his dissection of the human fetus and
his quantitative measurements of embryonic growth.
 William Harvey (1578 AD–1667 AD) determined the position where
the embryo arises in an egg, the so-called white spot, and described
the blastoderm as the unique place of origin of the embryonic body. He also
wrote of the importance of the amniotic fluid, believing that it was
absorbed into the blood of the embryo and later, the fetus.
 Marcello Malpighi (1628 AD–1694 AD) described embryo development
as a simple unfolding of an already miniature adult organism.
 Nicholas Stensen in 17th century demonstrated that the human
female ovary was homologous to the ovaries in previously
studied oviparous animals.
 The mammalian egg was finally seen and recognized as a single cell;
the idea of the recapitulation theory began to take shape
 Scottish surgeon John Hunter showed that the maternal and fetal
circulations were distinct physiologies.
 Karl Ernst von Baer and Heinz Christian pander proposed the germ layer
theory of development; von Baer discovered the mammalian ovum, in
1827.
 The span of gestation and the cause of the birth were discovered by
Jena, Gustav Fischer in 1897
 FIRST TRIMESTER
 From week 1 to 4
The weeks of pregnancy are dated from the first day of the last period. This
means that in the first two weeks the body will be preparing for the
ovulation as usual. Amazingly, during the third week the child's sex and all
of its inherited genetic characteristics. The developing baby now called a
zygote. After fertilization, the ball of cells, now an embryo, the embryo
burrows into the lining of the womb (Implantation). During the fourth week
the embryo splits into two parts. One half will become the placenta. In the
other half, the embryo itself continues to grow, and a sheet of cells has just
begun to create the neural tube, where the baby's brain, spinal cord and
backbone will ultimately form.

 From week 5 to 8

During the fifth week, the embryo ticker will start beating for the first time.
The embryo now has three distinct layers: the ectoderm, the endoderm, and
the mesoderm. Starting from the sixth week until birth, the embryo heart will
beat about 150 times a minute. And in the 6th week the brain hemispheres are
forming and brain waves can now be recorded. During the 7th week the
embryo develops distinct facial features. The nerve cells in the baby's brain
 are growing at an amazing rate -- 100,000 cells per minute. At 8 weeks, the
fetus is about one-half an inch long (1.1cm). Facial features such as
developing ears, eyelids, and nose tip are present.

 From week 9 to 12
During the 9th week the reproductive organs are beginning to form, along
with some other key organs, like the pancreas and gallbladder. Until 10th
week the baby was classified as an embryo, but by the end of the 10th week
the baby will be classified as fetus. Paddle-like, or webbed, hands and feet
will now separate into fingers and toes, bones will begin to harden and his
kidneys are now producing urine. From the 10th and 11th weeks the fetus will
start to inhale and exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid. At 12 weeks, the
fetus has grown to about 2 inches (4.4cm) in length and may begin to move
by itself. The fingers and toes are discernible and the fetal heartbeat may be
audible by Doppler ultrasound.

 Week 13

During this week the fetus arms will lengthen to be proportionate with his
body, and the fetus will be able to stick thumb in the mouth. Also, by
now, all of the essential organs and systems have formed
 SECOND TRIMESTER
 From week 14 to 17

In 14th week if the fetus is a boy, the prostate is forming, and if the fetus is a
girl, her ovaries are moving down into her pelvis. In 15th week the Lanugo
will be formed which is the first ultrafine, downy hair, now covers his back,
shoulders, ears, and forehead. It helps fetus retain body heat, but once he
gains enough fat to do the job, this hair will fall off. In the 16th week the
fetus’s delicate skeleton continues to harden from rubbery cartilage to bone.
The umbilical cord has fully matured. In the 17th week the fetus starts
plumping up this week, as body fat is deposited under his skin and sweat
glands develop.

 From week 18 to 21
In the 18th week the bones and nerves in ears are developed enough to
function, the fetus can hear all sorts of sounds including blood coursing
through the umbilical cord and the mother’s heartbeat. In the 19th week
Vernix caseosa begins to coat the skin. This coating helps regulate body
temperature and protects from the amniotic fluid. At 20th weeks the
developing baby is about 6 inches long and may weigh about 10 ounces. The
 baby may begin to make movements that the mother can feel at about 19 to
21 weeks; this baby movement is termed "quickening".

 From week 22 to 25

During 22nd week the baby’s skin becomes opaque but will remain wrinkly,
red, and covered in vernix. Also, this week, the baby’s fine-tuning his sense
of touch. Billions of brain cells will develop and control the baby’s
movements and life functions. Surfactant is being produced, a substance that
enables the air sacs to inflate and the lungs to fully expand. At 24 weeks, the
baby may weigh 1.4 pounds. The baby's inner ear canals are developed at 24
weeks, so researchers speculate the baby can sense its position in the uterus.
During the 25th week the baby's first bowel movement will form in the large
intestine. The thick, dark poop is called meconium and it's typically excreted
shortly after the baby born.

 From week 26 to 27

The baby settles into a distinct sleep-wake pattern. And the baby has been
hiccupping every once in a while, for several weeks, and the parent might
actually feel these baby hiccups, which are triggered by the involuntary
movements of the baby’s diaphragm. But as the baby's trachea is filled with
fluid instead of air, fetal hiccups don't make a sound
 THIRD TRIMESTER
 From week 28 to 30

Until now, the baby's eyelids have been fused shut, but in 28th week the baby
will begin to open and close the eyes. And the irises are now filled with
pigment. At 28 weeks, the baby normally weighs about 2 and one-half
pounds and has developed to the point that if the baby is birthed prematurely
for any reason, the chances are good that the infant will survive. From week
30 the baby will gain about a half pound each week. Now that all of the
major body systems are in place and functioning, and needs padding to
protect and insulate the baby’s organs.

 From week 31 to 34

In the week 31 there is a development in the reproductive organs. If the fetus

is a male then the testicles will descend into the scrotum through the
inguinal canal. If the fetus is female then the clitoris will be formed. By 32
weeks all the major organs are fully functioning except the lungs, which
need just a bit more time to mature completely. In the week 34 the protective
vernix caseosa begins to thicken. The bones in baby's skull aren't fused yet.
That
 allows them to shift as his head squeezes through the birth canal. They
won't fully fuse until adulthood.

 From week 35 to 38
Now, the unborn baby should be positioning the head facing down towards
cervix and vagina. And the baby tries to accumulate all the fat which helps
the baby to maintain the body temperature and store energy. In the week
37 the umbilical cord begins passing to the baby in preparation for
delivery.
The baby’s hearing, eyesight is improving each day. His fingers are
also becoming more coordinated.

 From week 39 to 42
By now the baby has likely reached the birth weight (6-9 pounds) and length
(18-22 inches). At 39 weeks, the baby will be considered full-term infant.
The placenta continues to supply the baby with nutrients and antibodies
until the parturition
SOME RECENT FINDINGS

 Stresses and strains on the human fetal skeleton during embryonic

development: “Mechanical forces generated by fetal kicks and movements
result in the stimulation of the fetal skeleton in the form of stress and
strain”.

 Size and location of the kidneys during the fetal period: - “The level of the
left kidney was higher than the level of the right kidney in the fetal period.
The posterior surface relations to the ribs showed certain ascendance during
gestation, corresponding to the vertebral levels.

 The offspring of the women with obesity during their pregnancy are
exposed to an altered intra-uterine environment. A subsequent influence on the
cardiovascular development during fetal life is assumed.

 Estetrol (E4) is a natural estrogen synthesized during pregnancy by

the human fetal liver, and the physiological role of this hormone is
unknown. Biologists have aforementioned that E4 has anti-thrombotic
properties.
 CONCLUSION
Embryonic development has fascinated scientists and philosophers from
ancient culture to the present day. This project explores embryonic
development. It is very amazing and interesting to learn about the human
development and how our bodies came into being. Where development
describes the growth of humans throughout the lifespan, from conception to
death.

This project has helped to know the logical basis for understanding the overall
organization of the human body. It has become increasing clear that the key
features of embryonic development have remained for the most part unaltered
the evolution. While animals show obvious differences in appearance, the
majority of their genes are well preserved, demonstrating roughly similar
structure and function.

However, despite years of dedicated research, much still remains to be

discovered on the formation of gametes (the sex cells), fertilization, and the
subsequent development of the embryo.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Websites:-
 [Link]
 [Link]
embryology-1959-joseph-needham
 [Link]
y/[Link]/fetal_development
 [Link]
week/baby-development/
 [Link]
pment_stages
 [Link]