"Not alone the child was born through the mother, but the mother was also born through the child"

No doubt that the act of bringing a new born into world is what makes life more interesting. This process even though many attribute it to a Divinly guided process, few attribute it as an act of evolution. Whether it's through evolutionary process or Divinely guided process, the uniqueness of conception to birth is so fascinating that makes many even wondered.

Here we're going to look at the processes involved from conception to birth at microscopic level.

The woman's reproductive system is so unique for the purpose of conception, in a sense that everything happens just as the body was wired. It's widely known that the ovary releases egg (though sometimes two eggs) and get fertilized by a sperm cell but many things happen in between.

1. As the ovary releases egg, the body released hormones which push the end of fallopian tube called fimbrate to move closer to the ovary. This happened just for one reason, to catch the egg immediately release by the ovary.

2. This egg is then moved by the help of microscopic cilla towards the end of the fallopian tube where it will be waiting for fertilization within 12-24hrs.

3. If there's no sperm cell to fertilize the egg, the egg then dissolve away with the uterus lining already prepared for implantation. This leads to menstruation.

Picture 1: The woman egg. It consists of 3 layers.

a. Corona Radiata
b. Zona Pellucidar
c. Cytoplasm.

Picture 2. The Sperm cell. It consists of

a. Acrosome Cap
b. Nucleus
c. Mitochondria

While the egg is at the end of the fallopian tube, something from the other ends are fighting their way to reach the egg: they are millions of sperm cells. Travelling at the speed of 3-4mm per minute, the goal of the Millions of sperm cells is to fertilize JUST THE ONE EGG. (Of a joke, don't be surprised when you see hundred men running after one lady, it all started from birth)

But actually that's what happened during conception, unfortunately only one sperm cell will eventually fertilized the egg. Though it's not an easy task.

As the millions sperm cells will begin to encounter different challenges which will lead to the death of thousands of them. Anyway, the sperm cells also equipped themselves with weapon that will help them reach their goal.

Picture 3. The Sperm cell journey to their destination.

Why the microscopic cilla traps many cells and destroyed them, the cell activates the weapon store at the mitochondria of the cells, this causes a change in the acrosome Cap and help the cell to be more stronger and speed further. This leaves only hundreds of cells to continue the fight.

Once successfully reaching the egg, the cells face another serious challenge.

The egg's cytoplasm is protected by two layers the Corona Radiata and the Zona Pellucida, which must be penetrated to access the chromosome.

Picture 1. Sperm cells attached to the Corona Radiata trying to penetrate it but at this stage many sperm cells are already weak, leaving few hundred to the race.

But never give up, I think that's what those remaining cells will be telling themselves.

The cells continue to penetrate the Corona Radiata and after successful penetration, here is another layer, the Zona Pellucida to be penetrated

As the fight continues, the cells remember the important of the their acrosome Cap (Hey I got powerful weapon there of course ).

Picture 2. Then the sperm cell releases an enzyme from the acrosome Cap, this softened the Zona Pellucida.

Meanwhile, the egg is watching as many hardworking cells are trying to come closer to her cytoplasm but she only needs just one. So what am I going to do, the egg asked? Well I think I have a weapon to defend myself.

Picture 3. While the cells are penetrating the Zona Pellucida, the egg is so at alert for the first cell to make contact with the outside chromosome layer the cytoplasm.

Finally, a cell makes the first contact. Congratulations, the egg says! So what next? The egg activates its weapon which frozen the Zona Pellucida and the effect extended to Corona Radiata. This prevent another cell to make contact with the cytoplasm, while the first cell is pulled inside by egg for further processes.

Picture 4. The cell then degenerate and releases its Nucleus which was also protected by the mitochondria and acrosome Cap.

Waooo not an easy journey and fight.

The release of the nucleus of the sperm cells causes a change in the cytoplasm, this pulls the chromosome apart to generate a sister chromatid which consists 23 chromosome. Meanwhile, the male nucleus also contains 23 chromosome.

Picture 1. Like a spider web a tiny finger lines push the male 23 chromosome towards the female 23 chromosome.

Picture 2. The two nucleus combine to form one nucleus.

Picture 3. At this stage, each chromosome will locate their respective partner and fusion will occur.

For instance, the X chromosome of the female will locate the X or Y chromosome of the male.

Note: Female has 22 chromosome + X chromosome and male has 22 chromosome + X or Y chromosome, this are the chromosome that determined the GENDER of the baby.

We know that woman egg only carried X chromosome, so if the sperm cell of the male contains X chromosome the baby will be Girl Child and if the sperm cell contains Y chromosome it'll be Boy Child.

This stage is where the magic, miracle or call it whatever you like happens.

And what happened next is human life. This single process creates the very first foundation where our existence will be built.

After the fusion, the written codes that will build each body organs, skin, eyes color, hair, finger print, nails e.t.c arise just within a nucleus that is invisible to human eyes.

Picture 4. The single cell produced at the fusion is called "Zygote"

Picture 1. The single cell Zygote begins to divide itself from 1 to 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 to 32 called murale and finally to Blastocyst which no one knows the actual cells anymore.

Picture 2. Blastocyst contains 3 layers of which one is the little human and that is "Embryoblast"

Picture 3. The stages so far from moment of fertilization.

Blastocyst is then moved to the uterus for implantation to occur.

Implantation is when the Blastocyst is buried in the wall of the uterus lining where the new human will be getting all the necessary nourishment for development.

Picture 4. Implantation of the Blastocyst on the uterus lining and after implantation a plug covered the place.

At the implantation, the process continues. Yolk sac is formed, amniotic cavity developed and the Embryoblast formed 3 layers.

Picture 1. That's you at the center at the initial stage after implantation

Picture 2. For better view

The 3 layers called:
a. Ectoderm
b. Mesoderm
c. Endoderm

Picture 3. From this three layers mentioned above, human body system arises

Few days latter, human structure begins to be building up from this the first center structure is developed which is neural groove basically the spinal cord and skull.

Picture 1. Further development of the nueral groove and skull

Picture 2. The embryo is formed and what can be visible there is the otic placode and heart.

Heart is one of the first organ to form in human body and by 8weeks the heart has started pumping blood.

Otic placode will later become the iner ears.

Next something that starts to resemble human can be seen.

The upper limbo and the lower limbo which will later become hands and legs can be identified. Likewise, eyes, mouth, ears e.t.c

Picture 1. Hands and fingers formed first before legs

Finally, a little human can be seen.

cc:

Lalasticlala
Royalboy
Mynd44
Seun

Picture 1: Placenta!

Placenta can be referred to as the second baby because both the baby and the placenta are part of the whole conception process and it has only one purpose just to feed the baby.

Why should there be a need for placenta in the first place?

Well, without the placenta, the embryo won't survive because the baby is carrying both the mother and the father DNA. Which means, the embryo's blood and the mother's blood must not come in contact. That's the reason why placenta is in place to bridge the cap.

The uniqueness of this is that baby developed their own blood.

The placenta extracts just nutrients from the mother's blood, process and pass them to the embryo.

Baby is also developing in an amniotic sac which is fill with fluid called amniotic fluid.

Wait you might ask:

1. How will the baby able to breath inside THE FLUID, when it's hard to breath under water?

2. Or how does the baby survive without breathing in oxygen since we all need to breath in oxygen?

In actually sense, babies do breath but not the way we breath, just that they don't breath through their nostrils.

The placenta is responsible for this, it extracts oxygen from the mother's blood and passed it to the baby and remove carbon dioxide from the baby and passed it to the mother's system.

cc:

Lalasticlala
Royalboy
Mynd44
Seun