What is an embryo?
Question:
What is an embryo?
Embryology
All organisms on Earth reproduce to survive. There are largely two types of reproduction - sexual and asexual. A few organisms boast the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually, but those that reproduce sexually have their young develop through a number of stages.
Answer and Explanation:
An embryo is an early stage of a developing organism that cannot survive on its own. It is one of a few stages of development in a sexually-reproductive animals.
During the many weeks or months, the embryo is inside its mother while the organ systems and bodily features are developing. Although the embryo looks complete, it cannot survive on its own. It needs nourishment and more time to develop each of its organ systems so that they can properly function.
In humans, the embryonic stage begins at Week 5 of reproductive development. It follows the zygote stage (which starts with conception) and the blastocyst stage (when the zygote splits into inner and outer sets of cells that travel down the fallopian tubes to implantation). A human embryo develops for about five weeks until it becomes well-formed enough to be called a fetus (usually Week 11 of the human reproductive cycle). Human fetuses are typically born on or near the 40th week of pregnancy.
Learn more about this topic:
from
Chapter 15 / Lesson 4Learn about the early stages of human embryonic development. Identify the stages in order, and study the significance of early embryonic development in mammals.