Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

embryo

 
(ĕm'brē-ō') pronunciation
n., pl., -os.
    1. An organism in its early stages of development, especially before it has reached a distinctively recognizable form.
    2. An organism at any time before full development, birth, or hatching.
    1. The fertilized egg of a vertebrate animal following cleavage.
    2. In humans, the prefetal product of conception from implantation through the eighth week of development.
  1. Botany. The minute, rudimentary plant contained within a seed or an archegonium.
  2. A rudimentary or beginning stage: "To its founding fathers, the European [Economic] Community was the embryo of the United States of Europe" (Economist).

[Medieval Latin embryō, from Greek embruon : en-, in; see en-2 + bruein, to be full to bursting.]


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Early stage of development of an organism in the egg or the uterus, during which its essential form and its organs and tissues develop. In humans, the organism is called an embryo for the first seven or eight weeks after conception, after which it is called a fetus. In mammals, the fertilized egg or zygote undergoes cleavage (cell division without cell growth) to form a hollow ball or blastocyst. During the second week following fertilization, gastrulation (cell differentiation and migration) results in the formation of three tissue types. These three types of tissue develop into different organ systems: the ectoderm develops into the skin and nervous system; the mesoderm develops into connective tissues, the circulatory system, muscles, and bones; and the endoderm develops into the lining of the digestive system, lungs, and urinary system. In humans, by about the fourth week, the head and trunk can be distinguished and the brain, spinal cord, and internal organs begin to develop. By the fifth week, limbs begin to appear and the embryo is about .33 in. (.8 cm) long. By the end of eight weeks, the embryo has grown to about 1 in. (2.5 cm) long and all subsequent change is limited primarily to growth and specialization of existing structures. Any congenital disorders begin in this stage. See also pregnancy.

For more information on embryo, visit Britannica.com.

An organism in its early stages of development. The developing human is known as an embryo for about its first two months in the womb. Conventions differ in defining when the name first applies — whether it is immediately after fertilization or after implantation of the fertilized ovum in the uterus a week or so later.

— Stuart Judge

See antental development.

Roget's Thesaurus:

embryo

Top

noun

    A source of further growth and development: bud1, germ, kernel, nucleus, seed, spark1. See start/end.

embryo (ĕm'brēō), name for the developing young of an animal or plant. In its widest definition, the embryo is the young from the moment of fertilization until it has become structurally complete and able to survive as a separate organism. Embryology, the scientific study of embryonic development, deals with the period from fertilization until the hatching or birth of an animal or the germination of a plant. However, since the young animal may undergo metamorphosis or may remain wholly dependent on the mother for some time after birth, and since the seedling derives nourishment from food stored in its fleshy cotyledons even after it has sprouted, the exact limit of the time during which an organism is an embryo has not generally been well defined.

Modern embryology, using the techniques of molecular biology, genetics, and other disciplines, has focused on the question of what makes the embryo differentiate (see differentiation), what genetically directed molecular signals tell a single cell to divide and follow the specific pattern of growth and specialization that results in a complex multicellular organism with species-specific and individual characteristics.

Karl Ernst von Baer, who developed the biogenetic law, is generally regarded as the founder of embryology. E. H. Haeckel's "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" gave weight to the theory of evolution (see recapitulation). Other researchers in the field of embryology have included C. F. Wolff, M. J. Schleiden, and T. Schwann, developers of the cell theory; F. M. Balfour; H. Spemann; O. Hertwig; F. R. Lillie; and R. Levi-Montalcini.

Developmental Stages

Among humans, the developing young is known as an embryo until eight weeks following conception, after which time it is described, until birth, as a fetus. In organisms that reproduce sexually, the union of the sperm with the ovum results in a zygote, or fertilized egg, which begins a rapid series of cell divisions called cleavage, or segmentation (see mitosis). Each kind of organism has its own characteristic sequence of development, and related species usually have similar developmental patterns.

In a typical animal, cleavage proceeds in the following pattern. Early divisions produce a hollow ball one cell thick, called a blastula, which encloses the blastocoel, or cleavage cavity. The cells divide more rapidly in the area where the nucleus of the ovum was located; this results in an invagination (inpushing) of these cells to form a ball two cells thick (the gastrula). The new cavity thus formed is the gastrocoel, also known as the primitive gut or archenteron, and its opening is the blastopore. The outer layer of cells is called the ectoderm, the inner layer the endoderm. Among the coelenterates (e.g., sponges and jellyfish), these two layers become the chief functional tissues of the adult.

In higher forms of life, a third layer of cells, the mesoderm, develops from one or both of the first two layers and fills the blastocoel, and invagination forms a digestive tract with only a single opening at this early stage. The flatworms (e.g., the tapeworm and the fluke) stop developing at this time. In most organisms, however, a later invagination of the ectoderm results in a gut that is open at both ends. The mesoderm then divides into two layers, the space between them being called the coelom, or body cavity. The embryo now roughly resembles a tube within a tube.

From the three primary germ layers, the organs and tissues develop. In general the ectoderm gives rise to the skin, or integument, the skin appendages (e.g., scales, feathers, hair, and nails), and the nervous system. The endoderm forms the digestive glands, as well as the lining of the alimentary tract and lungs. From the mesoderm develop the major internal organs: the skeletal, muscular, and connective tissue and the circulatory, excretory, and reproductive systems. Sense organs and endocrine glands arise from combinations of all three layers.

Nourishment of the Embryo

In lower animals, which lay their eggs in water, the developing embryo is nourished by yolk, absorbing oxygen from and discharging wastes directly into the water. In terrestrial oviparous forms, the egg contains the yolk and also a surrounding fluid (e.g., the albumen of bird eggs). In mammals, accessory membranes, comprising both embryonic and uterine tissue, develop around the embryo-the amnion, filled with liquid, and the chorion and allantois, which help to form the placenta, through which nourishment and oxygen in the blood of the mother diffuse into the fetus and wastes diffuse back. In the higher plants, the divisions of the fertilized ovum and the differentiation of the tissues to form the embryonic root (hypocotyl), stem (epicotyl), and leaves (cotyledons) occur inside the ovule within the ovary at the base of the pistil. The matured ovule is the seed; the fruit, when it is produced, is the developed ovary.



The minute rudimentary plant contained within a seed.

Word Tutor:

embryo

Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: An animal in the early stages of its development. Also: The part of a seed from which a plant develops.

pronunciation A plant seed contains an embryo as well as all the food it needs to get a good start.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

An embryo can represent the most vulnerable part of ourselves, the "inner child." (Also see Baby, Miscarriage, Pregnant.)


(em-bree-oh)

A developing plant or animal. A plant embryo is an undeveloped plant inside a seed. An animal embryo is the animal as it develops from the single cell of the zygote until birth. Among humans and most other mammals, the embryo is carried in the mother's womb.

  • The term is occasionally used to denote a new or developing idea or project: “The idea for the complete theory was already present in his work, in embryo form, in 1950.”

  • the structure that develops from a zygote, up to the time of birth or hatching in eutherian animals, or of germination in plants. In mammals the term is restricted to the structure present in the early part of gestation that develops into a fetus.
    embryonic, embryonal adj.

    Previous:embolus, em+, elymoclavine
    Next:embryogenesis, embryology, embryonated

    A new organism in the earliest stage of development, i.e. from the time that the fertilized embryo begins to develop a long axis up to the time that the major structures have begun to develop, when it becomes a fetus.

    • e. collection — collection of an embryo from the genital tract for the purposes of embryo transfer; surgical and nonsurgical techniques available.
    • e. cryopreservation — preservation of embryos by freezing.
    • hexacanth e. — the larva with six hooks present in the cestode egg when it escapes from the uterus of the adult tapeworm. Called also oncosphere.
    • e. micromanipulation — handling of an embryo under a microscope, for examination, dissection.
    • e. transfer — collection of fertilized ova from one female before they become implanted and transfer to another female to complete the gestation. The donor is usually superovulated and then inseminated. Collection may be surgical via a laparotomy or nonsurgical by flushing through the cervix. Collected embryos must be stored carefully. They are evaluated in terms of fertilization, possibly cleaved artificially to create clones, and washed to eliminate the possibility of transferring infection with the embryo. Long-term storage by freezing is a practicable procedure. The recipient needs to be in appropriate stage of uterine receptivity, effected by synchronizing the estrus cycle with that of the donor.
    • e. transplant — see embryo transfer (above).

    n

    An organism in the earliest stages of development; in humans, the stage between the time of implantation of the fertilized ovum until the end of the seventh or eighth week of gestation.

    Random House Word Menu:

    categories related to 'embryo'

    Top
    Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
    For a list of words related to embryo, see:

      See crossword solutions for the clue Embryo.
    Embryo
    Wrinkledfrog embryos.jpg
    Embryos (and one tadpole) of the wrinkled frog (Rana rugosa)
    Code TE E1.0.2.6.4.0.5

    An embryo (irregularly from Greek: ἔμβρυον, plural ἔμβρυα, lit. "that which grows," from en- "in" + bryein "to swell, be full"; the proper Latinate form would be embryum) is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination. In humans, it is called an embryo until about eight weeks after fertilization (i.e. ten weeks Last Menstrual Period or LMP), and from then it is instead called a fetus.

    The development of the embryo is called embryogenesis. In organisms that reproduce sexually, once a sperm fertilizes an egg cell, the result is a cell called the zygote that has half of the DNA of each of two parents. In plants, animals, and some protists, the zygote will begin to divide by mitosis to produce a multicellular organism. The result of this process is an embryo.

    Contents

    Animal embryos

    In animals, the development of the zygote into an embryo proceeds through specific recognizable stages of blastula, gastrula, and organogenesis. The blastula stage typically features a fluid-filled cavity, the blastocoel, surrounded by a sphere or sheet of cells, also called blastomeres. The embryo of a placental mammal is defined as the organism between the first division of the zygote (a fertilized ovum) until it becomes a fetus. In humans, the embryo is defined as the product of conception from implantation in the uterus through the eighth week of development. An embryo is called a fetus at a more advanced stage of development and up until birth or hatching. In humans, this is from the eighth week of gestation. However, animals which develop in eggs outside the mother's body are usually referred to as embryos throughout development, e.g. one would refer to a chick embryo, not a "chick fetus" even at late stages.

    During gastrulation the cells of the blastula undergo coordinated processes of cell division, invasion, and/or migration to form two (diploblastic) or three (triploblastic) tissue layers. In triploblastic organisms, the three germ layers are called endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm. However, the position and arrangement of the germ layers are highly species-specific, depending on the type of embryo produced. In vertebrates, a special population of embryonic cells called the neural crest has been proposed as a "fourth germ layer", and is thought to have been an important novelty in the evolution of head structures.

    During organogenesis, molecular and cellular interactions between germ layers, combined with the cells' developmental potential or competence to respond, prompt the further differentiation of organ-specific cell types.[citation needed] For example, in neurogenesis, a subpopulation of ectoderm cells is set aside to become the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Modern developmental biology is extensively probing the molecular basis for every type of organogenesis, including angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones), chondrogenesis (cartilage), myogenesis (muscle), osteogenesis (bone), and many others.

    Generally, if a structure pre-dates another structure in evolutionary terms, then it often appears earlier than the other in an embryo; this general observation is sometimes summarized by the phrase "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny".[1] For example, the backbone is a common structure among all vertebrates such as fish, reptiles and mammals, and the backbone also appears as one of the earliest structures laid out in all vertebrate embryos. The cerebrum in humans, which is the most sophisticated part of the brain, develops last. This rule is not absolute, but it is recognized as being partly applicable to development of the human embryo.

    Fossilised animal embryos

    Fossilised animal embryos are known from the Precambrian, and are found in great number during the Cambrian period. Fossil dinosaur embryos have also been discovered.


    The human embryo

    At left is an embryo 4 weeks after fertilization (i.e. 6 weeks LMP). At right is a fetus 8 weeks after fertilization (i.e. 10 weeks LMP).
    A six week embryonic age or eight week gestational age human embryo
    A 10mm embryo from an ectopic pregnancy, still in the oviduct. This embryo is about five weeks old (or from the 7th week of pregnancy).
    Week 1–3 
    5–7 days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches to the wall of the uterus (endometrium). When it comes into contact with the endometrium it performs implantation. Implantation connections between the mother and the embryo will begin to form, including the umbilical cord. The embryo's growth centers around an axis, which will become the spine and spinal cord. The brain, spinal cord, heart, and gastrointestinal tract begin to form.[2]
    Week 4–5 
    Chemicals produced by the embryo stop the woman's menstrual cycle. Neurogenesis is underway, showing brain activity at about the 6th week.[3] The heart will begin to beat around the same time. Limb buds appear where the arms and legs will grow later. Organogenesis begins. The head represents about one half of the embryo's axial length, and more than half of the embryo's mass. The brain develops into five areas. Tissue formation occurs that develops into the vertebra and some other bones. The heart starts to beat and blood starts to flow.[2]
    Week 6–8 
    Myogenesis and neurogenesis have progressed to where the embryo is capable of motion, and the eyes begin to form. Organogenesis and growth continue. Hair has started to form along with all essential organs. Facial features are beginning to develop. At the end of the 8th week, the embryonic stage is over, and the fetal stage begins.[2]

    Miscarriage

    A complete spontaneous abortion at about 6 weeks from conception, i.e. 8 weeks from LMP

    Some embryos do not survive through to the fetal stage, which begins about two months after fertilization (10 weeks LMP). Embryos may be miscarried, or aborted purposely.

    Studies using very sensitive early pregnancy tests have found that 25% of embryos are miscarried by the sixth week LMP (since the woman's Last Menstrual Period), even if a woman does not realize it.[4][5] Miscarriages after the sixth week LMP happen in 8% of pregnancies.[5] The risk of miscarriage is "virtually complete by the end of the embryonic period," with a miscarriage rate of only two percent after 8.5 weeks LMP.[6]

    The most common cause of miscarriage of an embryo is chromosomal abnormality,[7] which accounts for at least 50% of sampled early pregnancy losses.[8] Advancing maternal age and a patient history of previous miscarriage are the two leading risk factors.[8]

    Induced abortion

    The majority of abortions occur during the embryonic period. For example, in England and Wales during 2006, 68% of induced abortions occurred by the end of the embryonic period.[9]

    Induced (i.e. purposeful) abortion of an embryo can be accomplished by a variety of methods, including both pharmaceutical and surgical techniques. Suction-aspiration is the most common surgical method of aborting an embryo within the United States.[10]

    Common reasons for purposely aborting an embryo include a desire to delay or end childbearing, concern over the interruption of work or education, issues of financial or relationship stability, perceived immaturity and health concerns.[11][12]

    Use in ART and diagnosis

    Embryos are used in various techniques of assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization and embryo donation. They may be subject to embryo cryopreservation for later use if IVF procedures have resulted in more embryos than is currently needed. Some aspects, e.g. selective reduction, are issues in the beginning of pregnancy controversy.

    Prenatal diagnosis or preimplantation diagnosis involves testing embryos for diseases or conditions.

    Viability

    A human embryo is not considered viable, because it cannot survive outside the uterus. Current medical technology does not allow an embryo to be transplanted from the uterus of one woman to that of another.[13]

    Research

    Human embryos are being researched to determine their use in treating diseases. Stem cell research, reproductive cloning, and germline engineering are all currently being explored. The morality of this research is also debated because an embryo is often used.[14][15][16]

    Plant embryos

    The inside of a Ginkgo seed, showing the embryo.

    In botany, a seed plant embryo is part of a seed, consisting of precursor tissues for the leaves, stem (see hypocotyl), and root (see radicle), as well as one or more cotyledons. Once the embryo begins to germinate — grow out from the seed — it is called a seedling. Plants that do not produce seeds, but do produce an embryo, include the bryophytes and ferns. In these plants, the embryo is a young plant that grows attached to a parental gametophyte.

    Footnotes

    1. ^ Gould, Stephen. Ontogeny and Philogeny, p. 206 (1977): "recapitulation was not 'disproved'; it could not be, for too many well-established cases fit its expectations."
    2. ^ a b c NIH Medical Encyclopedia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002398.htm
    3. ^ Gazzaniga, Mike S.The Ethical Brain "not until the end of week 5 and into week 6 (usually around forty to forty-three days) does the first electrical brain activity begin to occur. This activity, however, is not coherent activity of the kind that underlies human consciousness, or even the coherent activity seen in a shrimp's nervous system."
    4. ^ Wilcox AJ, Baird DD, Weinberg CR (1999). "Time of implantation of the conceptus and loss of pregnancy.". New England Journal of Medicine 340 (23): 1796–1799. doi:10.1056/NEJM199906103402304. PMID 10362823. 
    5. ^ a b Wang X, Chen C, Wang L, Chen D, Guang W, French J (2003). "Conception, early pregnancy loss, and time to clinical pregnancy: a population-based prospective study.". Fertil Steril 79 (3): 577–84. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(02)04694-0. PMID 12620443. 
    6. ^ Rodeck, Charles; Whittle, Martin. Fetal Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Practice (Elsevier Health Sciences 1999), p. 835.
    7. ^ Stöppler, Melissa Conrad; William C. Shiel, Jr., ed.. "Miscarriage (Spontaneous Abortion)". MedicineNet.com. http://www.medicinenet.com/miscarriage/page1.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-07. 
    8. ^ a b Jauniaux, E.; P. Kaminopetros and H. El-Rafaey (1999). "Early pregnancy loss". In Martin J. Whittle and C. H. Rodeck. Fetal medicine: basic science and clinical practice. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. p. 837. ISBN 0-443-05357-X. OCLC 42792567. 
    9. ^ Department of Health (2007). "Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2006". http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_075697. Retrieved 2007-10-12. "68% were at under 10 weeks" 
    10. ^ Healthwise (2004). "Manual and vacuum aspiration for abortion". WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/hw/womens_conditions/tw1078.asp#tw1112. Retrieved 2008-12-05. 
    11. ^ Bankole, Akinrinola, Singh, Susheela, & Haas, Taylor. (1998). Reasons Why Women Have Induced Abortions: Evidence from 27 Countries. International Family Planning Perspectives, 24 (3), 117–127 & 152. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
    12. ^ Finer, Lawrence B., Frohwirth, Lori F., Dauphinee, Lindsay A., Singh, Shusheela, & Moore, Ann M. (2005). Reasons U.S. women have abortions: quantative and qualitative perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37 (3), 110–8. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
    13. ^ Rumbold, Graham. Ethics in nursing practice, p. 120 (Elsevier Health Sciences 1999).
    14. ^ Freedman, Jeri. "America Debates Stem Cell Research." New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2008.
    15. ^ Sandel, Michael J. "The Case Against Perfection." Michael J. Sandel, 2007.
    16. ^ Zavos, Panayiotis. “Reproductive Cloning is Moral.” Ed. James Woodward. The Ethics of Human Cloning: At Issue. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven, 2005. 14–24.

    See also

    Preceded by
    Zygote
    Stages of human development
    Embryo
    Succeeded by
    Fetus


    External links


    Translations:

    Embryo

    Top

    Dansk (Danish)
    n. - embryo, foster, kim, spire

    idioms:

    • in embryo    i svøb, in spe

    Nederlands (Dutch)
    embryo, nog niet volledig ontwikkeld

    Français (French)
    n. - (lit, fig) embryon

    idioms:

    • in embryo    à l'état embryonnaire

    Deutsch (German)
    n. - Embryo

    idioms:

    • in embryo    im Keim

    Ελληνική (Greek)
    n. - (βιολ., μτφ.) έμβρυο

    idioms:

    • in embryo    σε εμβρυακή κατάσταση

    Italiano (Italian)
    embrione

    idioms:

    • in embryo    in embrione

    Português (Portuguese)
    n. - embrião (m)

    idioms:

    • in embryo    em estado embrionário

    Русский (Russian)
    зародыш, эмбрион

    idioms:

    • in embryo    в начальной стадии

    Español (Spanish)
    n. - embrión, germen

    idioms:

    • in embryo    en embrión

    Svenska (Swedish)
    n. - embryo

    中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
    胚胎, 胚芽, 胎儿

    idioms:

    • in embryo    在胚胎阶段, 在未成熟时期

    中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
    n. - 胚胎, 胚芽, 胎兒

    idioms:

    • in embryo    在胚胎階段, 在未成熟時期

    한국어 (Korean)
    n. - 태아, 애벌레, 싹

    idioms:

    • in embryo    발달이 덜 된, 무르익지 않은

    日本語 (Japanese)
    n. - 胎児, 胚, 初期

    idioms:

    • in embryo    未発達の, 初期の

    العربيه (Arabic)
    ‏(الاسم) جنين‏

    עברית (Hebrew)
    n. - ‮עובר, עובר בשמונה השבועות הראשונים להיריון, דבר לא מפותח או לא בשל‬


     
     

     

    Copyrights:

    American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Oxford Companion to the Body. The Oxford Companion to the Body. Copyright © 2001, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Roget's Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
    Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners. Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
    eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free Read more
    The Dream Encyclopedia. The Dreams Encyclopedia. 1995 ©Visible Ink Press (VisibleInkPress.com). All rights reserved.  Read more
    Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Science. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.  Read more
     Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry. Oxford University Press. Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology © 1997, 2000, 2006 All rights reserved.  Read more
    Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
     Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved.  Read more
    Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary. Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 HarperCollins Publishers All rights reserved.  Read more
    Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Embryo Read more
    Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

    Follow us
    Facebook Twitter
    YouTube