Events in Embryology

[Note: cf. is used to refer you to another item in the same or a separate list for comparison of two
related items. For example, (cf. 3rd Week: 4) refers you to the 4th item in the list of the 3rd Week.]

1st Week 4th Week

1) (3 days after fertilization): morula
formed
2) (6th day): implantation of blastocyst
in uterine endometrium begins
3rd Week
1) (end): primitive streak begins 22) (during 4th-7th weeks): heart
degenerating and invagination stops divides into typical four-chambered
structure
2) (end): caudal germ cells begin
differentiation (cf. 3rd Week: 4)
3) (25 days): cranial neuropore closes 23) (in) stomach appears as a
fusiform dilation
4) (27 days): caudal neuropore closes

1) (of): the most characteristic event is 5) (in): buccopharyngeal membrane 24) (beginning): pronephros is
gastrulation ruptures (cf. 7th Week: 5) represented by 7-10 solid cell groups
in the cervical region
2) (16th day): allantois appears 6) (end): embryo has 28 somites
3) (15-16 days): primitive streak clearly 7) (end of): sclerotome cells form 25) (end): all indications of pronephric
visible as a narrow groove with slightly mesenchyme system disappeared
bulging regions on either side
4) (middle): cephalic germ cells begin 8) (end of): limb buds become visible 26) (early): first excretory ducts of
differentiating (cf. 4th Week: 2) mesonephros appear
5) (beginning): primary villi are present 9) (during): slerotome cells migrate 27) (4th-5th weeks): pharyngeal arches
around spinal cord and notochord and appear
fuse with those of opposing somites
6) (end): tertiary villi are formed 10) (during): diaphragm lies opposite 28) (end): stomodeum with pair of
cervical somites (cf. 6th Week: 3) pharyngeal arches are present
7) (19-20 days): embryo is (still) 11) (23rd day): heart tube continues
attached by connecting stalk to elongate and bend (loop)
8) (beginning): ectoderm is disc-shaped 12) (28th day): looping of heart is
complete
9) (end): neural folds and groove are 13) (middle): sinus venosus receives
formed blood from right and left sinus horns
10) (17 days): mesoderm differentiates 14) (27th-37th days): major cardiac
to its three layers septa are formed
11) (beginning): paraxial mesoderm 15) (end): septum primum appears
begins forming somitomeres
12) (20th day): first pair of somites 16) (end): two primitive ventricles
appear begin to expand
13) (at): first blood islands appear in 17) (27th day): most of the 1st aortic
the wall of the yolk sac arch has disappeared
14) (end of): intraembryonic mesoderm 18) (during): umbilical arteries
differentiates into paraxial, lateral plate, acquire secondary connection with
and intermediate mesoderm common iliac arteries
15) (middle of): vascular system 19) (during): the cardinal veins form
appears a symmetrical system
16) (late in presomite stage - < 20 20) (when 4 weeks old): lung bud
days): splanchnic mesoderm is induced forms
by underlying pharyngeal endoderm to
form cardiac myoblasts
17) (middle): liver primordium appears 21) (by 22nd day) the two heart tubes
join to form a single slightly bent
18) (in) cloacal folds form heart tube

--[1]--
 5th Week
1) (beginning): germ cells arrive at
gonads (cf. 6th Week: 9)
2) (during): lens placodes form eye
lenses
3) (end): 42-44 pairs of somites are
present
4) (by the): yolk sac duct, allantois,
and umbilical vessels are restricted to
umbilical ring
5) (end of): muscle cells collected into 5) (during): physiological umbilical
epimere and hypomere
6) (4th and 5th weeks): left-right
shunting of blood occurs
7) (during): obliteration of right
umbilical and left vitelline veins
8) (end): AV canal separated into right 8) (until): germ cells don't appear in
and left canals
9) (near end of): posterior extremity
of bulboventricular flange terminates
10) (during): truncus swellings appear 10) (42 days): 2 mandibular, 2
11) (29th day): 1st and 2nd aortic arches
have disappeared
12) (in): three major vein pairs
(vitelline, umbilical, and common
cardinal) can be distinguished
13) (5th-7th weeks): subcardinal,
supracardinal, and sacrocardinal veins
are formed
14) (until): lymphatic system doesn't
appear
15) (beginning): bronchial buds
enlarge to right and left main bronchi
16) (by the): dorsal mesentery is
established
17) (in): spleen primordium appears
18) (in): midgut is suspended by
dorsal mesentery and connected to
yolk sac
19) (in): metanephros appears
th th
20) (4 -5 weeks): pharyngeal arches
appear
21) (in): inferior parathyroid and
thymus glands are formed
6th Week
1) (in): hand-plates and foot-plates
form
2) (by the): first hyaline cartilage
models formed
3) (by the): diaphragm is at the level
of thoracic somites (cf. 4th Week: 10)
4) (27th-37th days): major cardiac
septa formed
herniation
6) (at): cecal bud appears
7) (middle of 2nd month):
mesonephros forms a large ovoid
organ on each side of the midline
gonads
9) (in): germ cells invade the gonads
(genital ridges)
maxillary, and 1 frontonasal
prominences can be recognized
7th Week
1) (during): limbs rotate in opposite
directions
2) (in): 1st indication of limb
musculature appears
3) (by the): pleuroperitoneal folds fuse
with the mesentery of esophagus and
with septum transversum to close
connection between pleural and
peritoneal cavities
4) (5th-7th weeks): subcardinal,
supracardinal, and sacrocardinal veins
are formed
5) (end): cloacal membrane ruptures
(cf. 4th Week: 5)
6) (until): goands do not aquire male
and female characteristics
7) (in): cortical cords develop in the
ovary
--[2]--
8th Week
1) (end of 2nd month): major features
of external body form are recognizable
2) (end of embryonic period):
endochondral ossification of bones of
extremities begins
3) (end of 2nd month): majority of
mesonephros has disappeared
4) (by the): testosterone production
begins
5) (end of 2nd month): urogenital
mesentery attaches testis and
mesonephros to posterior abdominal
wall
9th Week
1) (by the 3rd month): chorion laeve is
formed
2) (beginning of 3rd month): some
dorsal bands of diaphragm originate at
the level of 1st lumbar vertebra
3) (during): caudalmost part of anal
column recanalizes from ectoderm
proliferation
10th Week
1) (at): left common cardinal vein is
obliterated
2) (in): liver weights about 10% of
total body weight
3) (during): herniated loops begin to
return to the the abdominal cavity
4) (by the): differentiation of the
glomerular capillaries begins followed
by production of urine
 12th Week
1) (end of 3 month): oogonium is
rd
surrounded by flat epithelial cells
2) (end of 3rd month): corpus luteum
graviditatis is about one-third to one-
half the total size of the ovary
rd
3) (end of 3 month): head size =
CRL
4) (by the): external genitalia are
developed enough for recognition by
ultrasound
rd
5) (end of 3 month): amniotic cavity
comes into contact with chorion
obliterating chorionic cavity
6) (by the): primary centers of
ossification are present in all the long
bones of the limbs and skull
7) (end of 3rd month): cross-striations
of skeletal muscles appear
8) (at): bile is formed by hepatic cells
9) (near): kidneys become functional
10) (end of 3rd month): urethra gives
outgrowth of male glands
11) (by approximately): testis reaches
inguinal region
12) (3 -5 months): palatine tonsils
rd th
are infiltrated by lymphatic tissue
Unique Months
1) (5 month): maximum 7 million
th
germ cells are found in ovary
2) (7th month): majority of oogonia
have degenerated
3) (end of 4th month): corpus luteum
continues to secrete progesterone
until this time
4) (beginning of 5th month): head size
= 1/3 CHL
5) (end of 5th month): weight of fetus
< 500 g
6) (during 5th month): movements of
the fetus can be felt by the mother
7) (beginning of 4th month):
cytotrophoblast cells and some
connective tissue of villi disappear
8) (4th month): placenta has fetal and
maternal components
9) (4th and 5th months): decidual septa 24) (4th month): solid cord form of
are formed
10) (14 weeks): IgG is transported
through placenta
11) (after 3rd month gradually): yolk
sac disappears
12) (5 month): fetus begins
th
swallowing amniotic fluid
13) (14 weeks): liver begins forming
-fetoprotein which leaks into
maternal circulation
14) (4th month): ossification of ossicles 29) (2nd month): counting somites
begins
15) (6th month): 17 generations of
bronchiolar subdivisions are formed
16) (7th month): up to this time
bronchioles divide continuously to
more and smaller canals
--[3]--
17) (during 7th month): sufficient
capillaries are present for survival
18) (last 2 months several years
after birth): terminal sacs increase
steadily in number
19) (6th month): at end, type II
alveolar cells appear
20) (last 2 months): hepatic
hemopoietic activity subsides
21) (until the end of the 5th month):
more tubules form at the periphery of
metanephros
22) (4th month): testis cords become
horseshoe-shaped and cortical ovarian
cords are split to isolated clusters
23) (5th month): vaginal outgrowth is
entirely canalized
external urethral meatus forms
25) (28 weeks): testes migrate
through the inguinal canal
26) (33 weeks): testes reach scrotum
27) (in 2nd month): yolk sac lies in
chorionic cavity
28) (during 2nd month): solid phase of
duodenum
becomes difficult and CRL is used
30) (2nd month): increase in head size,
and formation of limbs, face, ears,
nose and eyes
31) (in 3rd month): pancreatic islets
develop
32) (during 3rd month): chorion laeve
is formed