BIOL303 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Cleavage Furrow, Germ Layer, Germ Cell

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL303
• Professor: Bruce Reed

Document Summary

Referri(cid:374)g to the (cid:862)de(cid:448)elop(cid:373)e(cid:374)t(cid:863) of a(cid:374) orga(cid:374)is(cid:373) usually (cid:373)ea(cid:374)s the pro(cid:272)ess of progressi(cid:448)e a(cid:374)d continuous change that generates a complex multicellular organism from a single cell: define the following terms: Gamete: a specialized reproductive cell through which sexually reproducing parents pass chromosomes to their offspring (sperm or egg) Zygote: a fertilized egg with a diploid chromosomal complement in its zygote nucleus generated by fusion of the haploid male and female pronuclei. Cleavage: a series of rapid mitotic cell divisions following fertilization in many early embryos; cleavage divides the embryo without increasing its mass. Morula: vertebrate embryo that precedes the blastula or blastocyst stage. Blastula: early-stage embryo consisting of a sphere of cells surrounding an inner fluid-filled cavity. Blastocoels: the inner fluid-filled cavity inside of a blastula. Gastrulation: a process involving movement of the blastomeres of the embryo relative to one another resulting in the formation of the three germ layers of the embryo.