The sperm (from the father) and the egg (from the mother)
each carry one half of the parent’s genetic information. At fertilization, a full set of genetic
information is present; the exact same full set of information which is present
in every cell of the adult individual.
Between thirty and one hundred fifty million sperm compete to reach an
egg after each sexual act. Each
one of these sperm carries one half of the full set of the father’s genetic
information.
The fertilized egg begins almost immediately to reproduce
itself. Each copy carries a full
set of genetic information; the exact same full set of information which is
present in every cell of the adult individual.
The cells form a flattened disk called the blastodisc and a
groove, the neural groove, develops in the middle of the disk. The walls of the groove rise up and
close together to form the neural tube.
The neural tube becomes the spinal cord. Each cell in the structure carries a full set of genetic information; the
exact same full set of information which is present in every cell of the adult
individual.
This short video is of a chicken embryo, but the process is
exactly the same in the human embryo.
At each step of the baby’s development every cell in the
body carries a full set of genetic information; the exact same full set of
information which is present in every cell of the adult individual. If a blind DNA analysis were to
be performed on two separately submitted specimens, on the embryo and on tissue
taken from the mother, the result would be this: the analysis would show two
individuals who were related genetically.
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Hi Joel! Nice blog. It's very informative and I really enjoyed watching those videos. The first video is almost like traveling under the sea. Thanks. I'll certainly visit your site again.
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