A baby goes through several stages of development, beginning as a fertilized egg.

The
egg develops into a blastocyst, an embryo, then a fetus.

Fertilization
During each normal menstrual cycle, one egg (ovum) is usually released from one of
the ovaries, about 14 days after the last menstrual period. Release of the egg is called
ovulation. The egg is swept into the funnel-shaped end of one of the fallopian tubes.

At ovulation, the mucus in the cervix becomes more fluid and more elastic, allowing
sperm to enter the uterus rapidly. Within 5 minutes, sperm may move from the vagina,
through the cervix into the uterus, and to the funnel-shaped end of a fallopian tubethe
usual site of fertilization. The cells lining the fallopian tube facilitate fertilization.

If a sperm penetrates the egg, fertilization results. Tiny hairlike cilia lining the fallopian
tube propel the fertilized egg (zygote) through the tube toward the uterus. The cells of
the zygote divide repeatedly as the zygote moves down the fallopian tube. The zygote
enters the uterus in 3 to 5 days.

In the uterus, the cells continue to divide, becoming a hollow ball of cells called a
blastocyst. If fertilization does not occur, the egg moves down the fallopian tube to the
uterus, where it degenerates, and passes through the uterus with the next menstrual
period.

If more than one egg is released and fertilized, the pregnancy involves more than one
fetus, usually two (twins). Because the genetic material in each egg and in each sperm
is slightly different, each fertilized egg is different. The resulting twins are thus fraternal
twins. Identical twins result when one fertilized egg separates into two embryos after it
has begun to divide. Because one egg was fertilized by one sperm, the genetic material
in the two embryos is the same.

From Egg to Embryo

Once a month, an egg is released from an ovary into a fallopian tube. After sexual
intercourse, sperm move from the vagina through the cervix and uterus to the fallopian
tubes, where one sperm fertilizes the egg. The fertilized egg (zygote) divides repeatedly
as it moves down the fallopian tube to the uterus. First, the zygote becomes a solid ball of
cells. Then it becomes a hollow ball of cells called a blastocyst.

Inside the uterus, the blastocyst implants in the wall of the uterus, where it develops into
an embryo attached to a placenta and surrounded by fluid-filled membranes.

Development of the Blastocyst

Between 5 and 8 days after fertilization, the blastocyst attaches to the lining of the
uterus, usually near the top. This process, called implantation, is completed by day 9 or
10.

The wall of the blastocyst is one cell thick except in one area, where it is three to four
cells thick. The inner cells in the thickened area develop into the embryo, and the outer
cells burrow into the wall of the uterus and develop into the placenta. The placenta
produces several hormones that help maintain the pregnancy. For example, the
placenta produces human chorionic gonadotropin, which prevents the ovaries from
releasing eggs and stimulates the ovaries to
produce estrogen and progesterone continuously. The placenta also carries oxygen and
nutrients from mother to fetus and waste materials from fetus to mother.

Some of the cells from the placenta develop into an outer layer of membranes (chorion)
around the developing blastocyst. Other cells develop into an inner layer of membranes
(amnion), which form the amniotic sac. When the sac is formed (by about day 10 to 12),
the blastocyst is considered an embryo. The amniotic sac fills with a clear liquid
(amniotic fluid) and expands to envelop the developing embryo, which floats within it.

Development of the Embryo

The next stage in development is the embryo, which develops within the amniotic sac,
under the lining of the uterus on one side. This stage is characterized by the formation
of most internal organs and external body structures. Most organs form begin to form
about 3 weeks after fertilization, which equals 5 weeks of pregnancy (because doctors
date pregnancy from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period, which is
typically 2 weeks before fertilization). At this time, the embryo elongates, first suggesting
a human shape. Shortly thereafter, the area that will become the brain and spinal cord
(neural tube) begins to develop. The heart and major blood vessels begin to develop
earlierby about day 16. The heart begins to pump fluid through blood vessels by day
20, and the first red blood cells appear the next day. Blood vessels continue to develop
in the embryo and placenta.

Almost all organs are completely formed by about 10 weeks after fertilization (which
equals 12 weeks of pregnancy). The exceptions are the brain and spinal cord, which
continue to form and develop throughout pregnancy. Most malformations (birth defects)
occur during the period when organs are forming. During this period, the embryo is most
vulnerable to the effects of drugs, radiation, and viruses. Therefore, a pregnant woman
should not be given any live-virus vaccinations or take any drugs during this period
unless they are considered essential to protect her health (see Drug Use During
Pregnancy).

Placenta and Embryo at 8 Weeks

At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta and
fetus have been developing for 6 weeks. The
placenta forms tiny hairlike projections (villi)
that extend into the wall of the uterus. Blood
vessels from the embryo, which pass
through the umbilical cord to the placenta,
develop in the villi.

A thin membrane separates the embryo's

blood in the villi from the mother's blood that
flows through the space surrounding the villi
(intervillous space). This arrangement does
the following:

Allows materials to be exchanged

between the blood of the mother and
that of the embryo
Prevents the mother's immune system
from attacking the embryo because
the mother's antibodies are too large
to pass through the membrane

The embryo floats in fluid (amniotic fluid),

which is contained in a sac (amniotic sac).

The amniotic fluid does the following:

Provides a space in which the embryo

can grow freely
Helps protect the embryo from injury

The amniotic sac is strong and resilient.

Development of the Fetus and Placenta
At the end of the 8th week after fertilization (10 weeks of pregnancy), the embryo is
considered a fetus. During this stage, the structures that have already formed grow and
develop. The following are markers during pregnancy:

By 12 weeks of pregnancy: The fetus fills the entire uterus.

By about 14 weeks: The sex can be identified.
By about 16 to 20 weeks: Typically, the pregnant woman can feel the fetus
moving. Women who have been pregnant before typically feel movements about
2 weeks earlier than women who are pregnant for the first time.
By about 24 weeks: The fetus has a chance of survival outside the uterus.

The lungs continue to mature until near the time of delivery. The brain accumulates new
cells throughout pregnancy and the first year of life after birth.
Pregnancy
As the placenta develops, it extends tiny hairlike projections (villi) into the wall of the
uterus. The projections branch and rebranch in a complicated treelike arrangement.
This arrangement greatly increases the area of contact between the wall of the uterus
and the placenta, so that more nutrients and waste materials can be exchanged. The
placenta is fully formed by 18 to 20 weeks but continues to grow throughout pregnancy.
At delivery, it weighs about 1 pound.
The Fertilization Process
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The lucky few sperm who reached the egg in the Fallopian tube surround it and begin
competing for entrance. The head of each sperm, the acrosome, releases enzymes that
begin to break down the outer, jelly-like layer of the egg's membrane, trying to penetrate
the egg. Once a single sperm has penetrated, the cell membrane of the egg changes its
electrical characteristics. This electrical signal causes small sacs just beneath the
membrane (cortical granules) to dump their contents into the space surrounding the
egg. The contents swell, pushing the other sperm far away from the egg in a process
called cortical reaction. The cortical reaction ensures that only one sperm fertilizes the
egg. The other sperm die within 48 hours.

The fertilized egg is now called a zygote. The depolarization caused by sperm
penetration results in one last round of division in the egg's nucleus, forming a
pronucleus containing only one set of genetic information. The pronucleus from the egg
merges with the nucleus from the sperm. Once the two pronuclei merge, celldivision
begins immediately.

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The dividing zygote gets pushed along the Fallopian tube. Approximately four days after
fertilization, the zygote has about 100 cells and is called a blastocyst. When the
blastocyst reaches the uterine lining, it floats for about two days and finally implants
itself in the uterine wall around six days after fertilization. This signals the beginning of
pregnancy. The implanted blastocyst continues developing in the uterus for nine
months. As the baby grows, the uterus stretches until it's about the size of a basketball.

Sometimes, two dominant follicles develop eggs and ovulate. If both are fertilized and
subsequently implanted in the uterus, two embryos develop: twins. Because they
developed from separate eggs that were fertilized by different sperm, they are called
fraternal twins. Fraternal twins do not share any more genetic information than siblings
born separately.
In addition, the two daughter cells that remain after a fertilized egg undergoes its first
division may separate and divide independently of each other. When this happens, they
remain loosely connected while in the Fallopian tube, and the two blastocysts implant
together in the uterine wall. They develop into two separate embryos. Because these
embryos came from the same fertilized egg, they share identical genetic material and
are called identical twins.

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The chance of having twins skyrocketed between 1980 and 2004, when the rate of twin
births in the U.S. increased by 70 percent [source: March of Dimes]. Researchers
attribute this jump to the increased use of fertility drugs and treatments, which can
increase the chances of multiple births. However, in recent years, the rates of twin births
have stabilized, likely due to increased knowledge and more precise application of
reproductive technology. According to the most recent data from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, there were 32.6 twin births for every 1,000
births, for a total of 138,660 sets of twins born [source: CDC].

Where do sperm meet the egg?

You might guess that sperm meet the egg in the uterus, the organ where the baby
develops. But that is incorrect. The sperm meet the egg in the fallopian tubes that carry
the egg from the ovary to the uterus. Then the developing embryo travels to the uterus.

Fertilization and Implantation

The sperm and egg dont look anything like a human baby (Figure below). After they
come together, they will develop into a human being. How does a single cell become a
complex organism made up of billions of cells? Keep reading to find out.
Sexual reproduction happens when a sperm and an egg cell combine together. This is
called fertilization. Sperm are released into the vagina during sexual intercourse. They
swim through the uterus and enter a fallopian tube. This is where fertilization
normally takes place.
A sperm that is about to enter an egg is pictured below (Figure below). If the sperm
breaks through the eggs membrane, it will immediately cause changes in the egg that
keep other sperm out. This ensures that only a single sperm can penetrate an egg. It
will also cause the egg to go through meiosis. Recall that meiosis, cell division that
creates the egg, begins long before an egg is released from an ovary. In fact, it begins
prior to birth.

This sperm is ready to penetrate the membrane of this egg. Notice the difference in size
of the sperm and egg. Why is the egg so much larger? The egg contributes all the
cytoplasm and organelles to the zygote. The sperm only contributes one set of
chromosomes.
The sperm and egg each have only half the number of chromosomes as other cells in
the body. These cells are haploid, with a single set of chromosomes. This is because
when they combine together, they form a cell with the full number of chromosomes. The
cell they form is called a zygote. The zygote is diploid, with two sets of chromosomes,
one from each parent. A human zygote has two sets of 23 chromosomes, for a total of
46 chromosomes (23 pairs). The zygote slowly travels down the fallopian tube to the
uterus. As it travels, it divides by mitosis many times. It forms a hollow ball of cells.
After the ball of cells reaches the uterus, it fixes itself to the side of the uterus. This is
called implantation. It usually happens about a week after fertilization. Now the
implanted ball of cells is ready to continue its development into a baby boy or girl.

Summary
Fertilization occurs when an egg and sperm come together to form a zygote.
Implantation occurs when the developing embryo fixes itself to the side of the uterus.

Explore More
1. How long after fertilization does it take the zygote to reach the uterus?
2. About how many cells is the embryo at the time of implantation?
3. What prevents the uterine lining from being shed if an egg is fertilized?
4. How does the developing embryo receive nutrition?