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Related Concept Videos

Cleavage and Blastulation01:33

Cleavage and Blastulation

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After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
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Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

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The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
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Fertilization01:38

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During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...
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Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

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Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata...
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Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

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During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
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Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

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Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
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Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Protocol for Human Blastoids Modeling Blastocyst Development and Implantation
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Protocol for Human Blastoids Modeling Blastocyst Development and Implantation

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Forces Shaping the Blastocyst.

David Rozema1, Jean-Léon Maître2

  • 1Institut Curie, Université PSL, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, 75005 Paris, France.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|July 1, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Mammalian blastocyst formation involves dynamic cellular forces shaping its structure. This review details the forces driving early embryonic development and lineage establishment in mammals.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cellular mechanics
  • Mammalian embryogenesis

Background:

  • The blastocyst is a crucial early mammalian embryo structure.
  • Its conserved form is vital for establishing embryonic lineages.
  • Blastocyst formation involves distinct developmental stages and cellular rearrangements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the force patterns that sculpt the mammalian blastocyst.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms of early embryonic development.
  • To highlight conserved aspects of blastocyst formation in mammals.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on mouse and human embryonic development.
  • Analysis of cytoskeletal remodeling and cellular forces.
  • Characterization of morphogenetic events during blastocyst formation.

Main Results:

  • Blastocyst formation is driven by forces acting during three key stages.
  • Cleavage stages involve hidden cytoskeletal remodeling.
  • Morula formation includes cell compaction and internalization.
  • Blastocyst expansion is regulated by lumen pressure and cycles of collapse/regrowth.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding force patterns is key to comprehending blastocyst development.
  • These forces establish the first mammalian lineages.
  • Knowledge from mouse embryos informs human embryonic development studies.