Embryo

Definition

An embryo is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm cell. The resulting fusion of these two cells produces a single-celled zygote that undergoes many cell divisions that produce cells known as blastomeres. The blastomeres are arranged as a solid ball that when reaching a certain size, called a morula, takes in fluid to create a cavity called a blastocoel. The structure is then termed a blastula, or a blastocyst in mammals.

Related concepts

ABC model of flower development Abortion Adolescence Adult Adult development Aestivation (botany)Age of majority Ageing Agronomy Aleurone Algae Alternation of generations Anatomical terminology Ancient Greek Aneuploidy Animal embryonic development Anther Antheridium Apical dominance Archaeobotany Archaeplastida Archegonium Archenteron Artificial pollination Assisted reproductive technology Astrobotany Asymmetric cell division Author citation (botany)Axial mesoderm Berry (botany)Bilaminar embryonic disc Birth Blastocoel Blastocyst Blastomere Blastopore Blastula Botanical expeditions Botanical name Botanical nomenclature Botany Bract Branches of botany Bryology Bryophyte Bud Bulb Bulk movement CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing Cambrian Capsule (fruit)Carpel Cataphyll Cavitation (embryology)Cell (biology)Cell division Cell wall Cellular respiration Cellulose Cheetah Child Child development Child development stages Childbirth Childhood Chlorophyll Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Citrus taxonomy Cleavage (embryo)Cleithrum Cloning Cnidaria Column (botany)Conception (biology)Cork cambium Correct name Cotyledon Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources Cultigen Cultivar Cultivar group Cultivated plant taxonomy Cushion plant Death Dendrology Development of the human body Developmental biology Dinosaur Double fertilization Drosophila melanogaster Dying Early childhood Early childhood development Ectoderm Egg cell Embryo (disambiguation)Embryo loss Embryology Embryonic development Embryophyte Emerging adulthood and early adulthood Endoderm Endometrial Endosperm Epiblast Epicuticular wax Epidermis (botany)Epithelium Eric F. Wieschaus Ethnobotany Evolutionary developmental biology Evolutionary history of plants Fern Fertilization Fetus Flatworm Flora Floral diagram Floral formula Floral symmetry Floriculture Flower Flowering plant Forestry Fossil embryos Frozen Ark Frozen zoo Fruit Fruit anatomy Gametophyte Gas exchange Gastrulation Gene expression Genetic engineering Geobotanical prospecting Germ layer Germination Gestational age (obstetrics)Ginkgo Glossary of botanical terms Glossary of plant morphology Grex (horticulture)Ground tissue Gymnosperm Gynoecium Habit (biology)Hatchling He Jiankui affair Herbaceous plant Herbarium History of botany History of plant systematics Horticulture Human embryonic development Human fertilization Hypanthium Hypoblast Implantation (embryology)In vitro fertilisation Infant Inflorescence Inner cell mass Intermediate mesoderm International Association for Plant Taxonomy International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants Intraembryonic coelom Larva Lateral plate mesoderm Latinisation of names Leaf Liana List of botanists List of botanists by author abbreviation (W–Z)List of individual trees List of oldest trees List of superlative trees List of systems of plant taxonomy List of tallest trees Lists of plants Locule Lycophyte Mammal Medieval Latin Megaspore Meristem Mesoderm Microsporangia Microspore Middle age Minor (law)Miscarriage Morula Mouse Multicellular organism Nectar Nervous system Neural crest Neuroectoderm Neurulation Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Non-vascular plant Northern white rhinoceros Nut (fruit)Old age Oocyte activation Organism Organogenesis Outline of botany Ovary (botany)Ovule Paleobotany Paraxial mesoderm Pedicel (botany)Perianth Petal Petiole (botany)Phloem Photosynthesis Phragmoplast Phycology Phytochemical Phytochemistry Phytogeography Phytomelanin Plant Plant anatomy Plant cell Plant cuticle Plant ecology Plant embryonic development Plant evolution Plant evolutionary developmental biology Plant hormone Plant intelligence Plant morphology Plant nutrition Plant pathology Plant physiology Plant reproduction Plant reproductive morphology Plant stem Plant taxonomy Plasmodesma Plastid Pollen Pollen tube Pollination Pollinator Pre-embryo Preadolescence Precambrian Pregnancy Preimplantation genetic diagnosis Prenatal development Primitive groove Primitive node Primitive pit Primitive streak Prostrate shrub Puberty Pyrena Raceme Rebecca Morelle Receptacle (botany)Regional specification Respiratory system Rhizoid Rhizome Root Rosette (botany)San Diego Zoo Sap Secondary growth Seed Seed dispersal Seedling Segmentation (biology)Selective breeding Self-pollination Senescence Sepal Sessility (botany)Sexual reproduction Shoot (botany)Shrub Snake Somatopleuric mesenchyme Somite Somitomere Spemann-Mangold organizer Sperm cell Spermatophyte Splanchnopleuric mesenchyme Sporangium Spore Sporophyll Sporophyte Stamen Staminode Starch Stem cell Stigma (botany)Stoma Storage organ Sturgeon Style (botany)Subshrub Succulent plant Sugar Surface ectoderm Svalbard Global Seed Vault Tadpole Tapetum (botany)Taxonomic rank Taxonomy (biology)Tepal Thorns, spines, and prickles Timeline of plant evolution Tissue (biology)Toddler Transpiration Tree Trichome Trilaminar blastocyst Trophoblast Turgor pressure Umbel Vacuole Vascular bundle Vascular plant Vascular tissue Vine Viviparity Whorl (botany)Womb Wood Woody plant Xylem Young adult Youth Zebrafish Zona hatching Zygote

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