Unfertilized egg
The development of an organism involves an increase in mass and - The inactivated ovum of the starfish exhibits
elaboration of structures. Both these changes can be understood in prominent prematuration nucleus, the germinal
terms of cell activity, like an increase in cell number (due to mitosis), vesicle, with a distinct nucleolus. It also possess a
enlargement of cells, migration of cells, as well as differentiation and viteline membrane which is difficult to identify
specialization of cells. because of its close adherence to the egg. This is
Cleavage is a mechanism for cloning the zygote genome generated formed by the egg and is, therefore, a primary
at fertilization following male and female pronuclear fusion. This membrane.
occurs right after fertilization, and it includes the zygote undergoing Fertilized egg
a series of mitotic cell division known as segmentation or cleavage, - After fertilization, the zygote shows an elevated
which leads to the formation of blastula. In animals where cleavage vitelline membrane, appropriately termed the
(cell division) involves the whole egg, the blastula usually consists of fertilization membrane. Because of the separation of
a hollow ball of cells. Gastrulation is the first time many organisms this structure from the egg, a space is formed, the
begin to express the new embryonic genome that was formed at perivitelline space. The germinal vesicle of the
fertilization. fertilized egg has broken down in preparation for the
maturation process. The sperm head may appear as a
Eggs are classified according to the relative amount of yolk which densely staining body within the egg cortex.
they contain. Cleavage division stage
- The starfish egg exhibits holobastic radial cleavage.
Those with little yolk are designated microlecithal or
oligolecithal Ex. Echinoderms, coelenterates, amphioxus
and mammals except monotremes
Those with moderate amount of yolk are called Medialecithal egg
medialecithal or mesolecithal. Ex. Eggs of annelid, Amphibians typically exhibit mesolecithal eggs, having an
mollusks, lampreys, lungfishes and ampbihibians. intermediate amount of yolk. The amphibian egg is larger
than that of the starfish due to the larger quantity of yolk.
Those with large amount of yolk are called megalecithal or
It is distinctly divided into a dark pigmented hemisphere
macrolecithal. Ex. Arthropods, hag fishes, bony fishes,
(the animal hemisphere) and a lightly or unpigmented
reptiles, birds and monotremes
hemisphere (the vegetal hemisphere). The pigement
Those with even distribution of egg are called isolecithal.
granules reside in the cortical cytoplasm of the egg within
Therefore, a microlecithal egg is isolecithal. the plasma membrane and are more abundant in the
animal hemisphere. The yolk is distributed throughout the
A telocithal egg on the other hand, has most of its yolk cytoplasm of the egg but is much more concentrated
concentrated on one pole the vegetal pole. Therefore, toward the vegetal pole end of the egg. Hence, the yolk
amphibians are moderately telolecithal, and birds are offers resistance to cleavage in the vegetal hemisphere.
highly telolecithal. In arthropods, especially insects, the The amount of yolk is still sufficiently small to allow
yolk is concentrated in the interior of the egg, and the complete cleavage of the egg cell.
cytoplasm is distributed as a thin coat on the external
surface. Eggs with this type of yolk distribution are called Blastula
centrolecithal eggs.
Microlecithal egg
Blastula
- A hollow ball of cells resulting from the successive
Cleavage cleavages.
o Blastocoel
Cleavage is not simply multiplication of cells but rather it produces
- The centrally located cavity, the walls of which consist
cells which, eventually, become arranged distinctly. These cells are
an epithelial layer of cells. This is not readily
called cleavage cells or blastomeres. This is due to the
identifiable because the cells at the back part of the
predetermined pattern influenced by the amount and distribution of
section is still visible but the organization of the
the yolk among vertebrates. The yolk is very important factor in the
blastomeres at the external surface of the embryo is
cleavage formation because its presence may inhibit cell division.
prominent.
In eggs with small amount of egg or none at all (alecithal) and is o Blastoderm
equally distributed throughout the embryo will be completely - The layer of the blastomeres arranged at the side of
divided into blastomeres of equal size. Those with medium amount the embryo and enclosing the blastocoel.
of yolk (mesolecithal or medialecithal), the yolk are pulled to its o Fertilization membrane
lower position (the vegetal pole). The pole with more yolk will have - The thin membrane surrounding the blastula. It is
bigger and fewer blastomeres (macromeres) because given time, the considered as a secondary membrane because it is
cells have not divided as often while the other pole with less yolk, not secreted by the egg.
will have many small blastomeres (micromeres).
The animal and vegetal will not be identified for this specimen cells, which remain on the outer surface of the gastrula
because it is not easy to identify these in oligolecithal eggs because become the ectoderm. The cavity created by the
the cells are almost of the same size. invagination is called the gastrocoel or the archenteron
(future primitive gut), whose opening at the vegetal pole is
Medialecithal egg called the blastopore.
Blastula o Gastrocoel
- A hollow sphere resulting from the segmentation of - The new cavity that is formed by the invaginated
the zygote cells. It will become the digestive tract of the embryo.
o Animal pole
- The region where numerous smaller cells are found The length of the gastrocoel indicates the specific stage of gastrula
o Vegetal pole whether early, middle or late. Early gastrula exhibits a short
- The region where fewer but bigger cells are found. gastrocoel whereas in late gastrula, the gastrocoel extends over half
o Blastocoel the length of the embryo and its apex may be seen a thin-walled
- The eccentrically located cavity. It will be obliterated vesicle.
in the future.
o Micromeres o Vesicles
- The cells at the animal pole. - Diverticula or lateral pouches found at the apical
o Macromeres region of the gastrocoel.
- The cells are the vegetal pole. - They become separated from the gastrocoel and give
o Blastoderm rise to the many mesodermal structures of the
- Same description as in microlecithal egg. animal.
o Fertilization Membrane - Syn: coelomic sacs
- The thin membrane surrounding the blastula. It is o Enterocoel
considered as a secondary membrane because it is - The cavity formed from the outpocketings of the
not secreted by the egg but by the follicle cells in the gastrocoel
ovary. The chorion plus the vitelline membrane, if it o Blastopore
exists at all, makes up the fertilization membrane. - The opening of the gastrocoel to the outside. It marks
(This term is used to refer also to one of the fetal the posterior end of the embryo and becomes the
membranes of the amniotes) future anus.
o Mesenchyme
Gastrula - Large, stellate cells which are mesodermal in origin.
- Scattered between the ectoderm and gastrocoel
Gastrulation is a stage characterized by morphogenic movement - These cells arise by budding off from the outer walls
and well-ordered rearrangement of cells after the cleavage stage of the gastrocoel
and blastula stages. The gastrula that is formed is the embryo. This o Bipinnaria larva
formation occurs after invagination happens at the vegetal pole. It - The larva of the starfish that is formed at the end of
involves 3 kinds of movements: epiboly, involution and the gastrula stage.
invagination. Groupings of cells of the same developmental - Noticeable is the presence of the cilia covering the
potentialities occur here. All these changes lead to the formation of entire ectodermal surface of the embryo. These are
the 3 germ layers, namely the ectoderm, mesoderm and the the principal locomotors organs of the larva.
endoderm.
Megalecithal egg