STUDY OF HUMAN

EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT
Project Report in
Biology
(2023 –2024)
Submitted in partial fulfilment of
the requirement of class XII (CBSE)
By
ADITTHAN.J.K

Mrs. T.
INDHUMATHY
PGT Biology
Mahatma Montessori School
(CBSE) Madurai
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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify the project entitled “STUDY OF HUMAN EMBRYO

DEVELOPMENT ” is done by ADITTHAN.J.K of Class XII of Mahatma
Montessori School (CBSE) Madurai, has completed his project as a part
of the paper of BIOLOGY under my supervision. He has taken proper
care and shown utmost sincerity in the completion of the project. I
certify that this project is up to my expectation as per the guidelines
issued by CBSE.

Principal

Submitted for the viva – voice conducted on, at Mahatma Montessori

School (CBSE) Madurai.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success and final outcome of the project required a

lot of guidance and assistance from many people and I am privileged to
have got this all along the completion of my project. All that I have done
is only due to such supervision and assistance and I would not forget to
thank them.
I feel deeply indebted to my teacher without whose
constructive feedback this project would not have been a success. The
valuable advice and suggestions for the corrections, modification and
improvement did enhance the perfection in performing my job well.
I show my gratitude to our principal for providing the best
of facilities and environment to bring out our innovation, talent and
spirit of inquiry through this project.

ADITTHAN.J.K

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 DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the project titled “STUDY OF

HUMAN EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT ” was submitted to Mahatma Montessori

School (CBSE), Madurai for the subject Biology under the guidance of

Mrs.T.Indhumathy. I further declare that this project or any part of this has

not been submitted elsewhere for any other purpose.

Date Signature

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S.NO CONTENTS PAGE NO

1 INTRODUCTION 7

2 FIRST TRIMESTER 9

3 SECOND TRIMESTER 12

4 THIRD TRIMESTER 15

5 SOME RECENT 18
FINDINGS

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6 CONCLUSION

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7 REFERENCE

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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

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Embryogenesis starts with the fertilization of the egg cell (ovum) by a sperm cell,
(spermatozoan)

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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 6 th week the brain hemispheres are forming
and brain waves can now be recorded. During the 7 th week the embryo develops
distinct facial features. The nerve cells in the baby's brain

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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 10 th 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 .

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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 15 th 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 16 th 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

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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 .

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THIRD TRIMESTER

From week 28 to 30

Until now, the baby's eyelids have been fused shut, but in 28 th 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 wont fully fuse until adulthood

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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 .

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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 .

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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.

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REFERENCE

Websites:-

● https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/history-
embryology-1959-joseph-needham
● https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryolog
y/index.php/fetal_development
● https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/week-by-
week/baby-development/
● https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/fetal_develo
pment_stages

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