Physiology and Culture of the Early Human Embryo

Abstract

If one is to culture any cell type, in order to be successful, it is a prerequisite to understand the physiology of the cell in question. What makes culture of the preimplantation human embryo so interesting (and challenging) is that the physiology of the embryo changes with development. Indeed, the starting point of development, the fertilized oocyte, exhibits a completely different physiology from the blastocyst prior to implantation. As shall be discussed, these two cell types are so far removed from each other with respect to their metabolism that they could be likened to comparing bone to active skeletal muscle. Reflecting these physiologies are differences in nutrient requirements as t..