Blastocyst (Noun)
Meaning
The blastula of a placental mammal in which some differentiation of cells has occurred.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The blastocyst is a critical stage in the development of a mammalian embryo, during which the cells begin to differentiate into distinct layers.
- In humans, the blastocyst typically forms around five to six days after fertilization and consists of an inner cell mass and a trophoblast.
- The blastocyst stage is characterized by the formation of a fluid-filled cavity called the blastocoel, which separates the inner cell mass from the trophoblast.
- During the blastocyst stage, the embryo undergoes compaction, a process in which the cells become tightly packed and begin to adhere to one another.
- The blastocyst is the stage at which the embryo is typically transferred to the uterus during in vitro fertilization procedures.