EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT & STEM CELL COMPENDIUM
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8-Cell Embryo (Mrl)


Zgt.Mrl.8CE
The result of a third cleavage event, the 8-cell embryo begins a process of compaction, wherein the round and loosely connected blastomeres assume a flattened polarized cell morphology. The outer cell surface becomes convex and the inner surface becomes concave, due to differential adherence patterns between the cells' inner and outer surfaces. The 8 cell stage (actually consisting of 6-12 cells) develops by day 3 of human embryonic development, and includes a continuation of the process of embryonic genome activation (which is initiated at the 4-8-cell stages of the human embryo), resulting in the morula.   

In the mouse embryo, the 8-cell stage time corresponds to E2.5 whereby the third cleavage event is completed resulting in a 2-cell embryo. Subsequent cell divisions give rise to the 16 and 32 cell stages called the morula, which occur between E2.5-3.5.
CS2 - CS2
Early Morula Cells, Blastomeres, Compacted Morula
8-Cell Embryo
Multiple Ancestors Single Ancestor No Descendants Develops from Part of Parent