cleavage: Quick Facts

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Diagram showing early human embryo development. The top row illustrates ovum cleavage from a single cell to a morula. The bottom row shows blastocyst formation and implantation, with labeled cell structures.

See time-lapse microphotography of blastomeres created by mitotic cleavage of embryonic cells

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Topics

mitosis meroblastic cleavage blastomere blastocyst morula blastula macromere micromere blastocoel blastoderm sexual differentiation gestational age implantation segmentation induction histogenesis organogenesis neural crest umbilical cord notochord