In Mothers today we explore with you today a crucial stage in the development of your baby: gastrulation. The moment in which the layers of cells that will give rise to the different organs and tissues of your baby are formed, marking the beginning of embryonic development.
Why is gastrulation so important for the good development of your baby? We try to answer this question and talk about the most important details of this process, explaining what it involves, how it is carried out and what its symptoms are. Find out!
What is gastrulation?
Gastrulation is one of the most important stages of early embryonic development since it is in this that the trilaminar germinal disc is formed, a structure with 3 differentiated embryonic layers that will give rise to all the organs and tissues of the embryo.
Gastrulation occurs just after segmentation and embryo implantation, that is, when the embryo has already divided into many cells, it has become a blastocyst and has managed to nest in the endometrium, starting the pregnancy.
Speaking in weeks, this process takes place between the third and fifth week when many women are not even aware that they are pregnant. And this, of course, influences the fact that we often do not know the term and what it means.
the three layers
As we have mentioned the trilaminar germ disc It is formed by 3 differentiated embryonic layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm). Each of them is intended to form a different type of tissue, as we briefly explain below.
- Ectoderm. The ectoderm is the most superficial layer and the first to form, during the blastula phase of embryonic development. It gives rise to the nervous system (spinal cord, peripheral nerves and brain), dental enamel and epidermis slowly and progressively.
- mesoderm. Through the process of mitosis of the ectoderm a third layer of cells originates, located between the ectoderm and the endoderm called the mesoderm. It occurs in the final phase of the gastrulation process and gives rise to the reproductive system, the excretory system, the osteoarthromuscular system, and the circulatory system. It is also very important for the formation of the neural tube, a vital structure for the future nervous system.
- endoderm. The endoderm is the innermost layer and is responsible for following the process of embryonic curvature, giving rise to the constitution of the endodermal tube, which runs through the embryo from the primitive mouth to the anus. It is divided into an embryonic part and an extraembryonic part. The first will give rise to some organs of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and endocrine systems. The second will form the yolk sac, where the first blood vessels that will nourish the baby will appear.
What are the symptoms of this stage?
Gastrulation is a process that, as we have already mentioned, occurs at a very early stage of embryonic development, between the second and fifth week of pregnancy. Many women do not even know that they are pregnant when gastrulation occurs and it will not be the gastrulation that tells them, since there are no symptoms directly related to it.
Su importancia
Gastrulation is a very important process in the development of the baby. This is when they can appear diseases, pathologies, infertility, some genetic disorders or malformations in the baby that we will not know until weeks later in the best cases
Experts point out that external conditions such as tobacco, alcohol or medication intake are important in pregnancy and especially during this stage. Conditioning factors that are difficult to control considering that most women are unaware of their pregnancy. Now, not only the external conditions are important, they are also internal issues that happen in the training process itself and that unfortunately cannot be controlled.
Did you know what gastrulation was? Has it become more or less clear to you what it consists of and how important it is in the process of embryo development?