What is an embryo?

Abstract

Most scientific and medical discoveries are accompanied by new terms to describe the new processes. Although this imposes the burden on society of continually learning a new lexicon, new terminology clarifies that the societal impact of emerging technologies needs to be newly interpreted. A notable exception to this general practice, however, has been the failure to develop new terms to describe the new demands placed on mammalian eggs. Approximately 250 times the size of a somatic cell, and 4,000 times the size of a sperm head, the mammalian egg is a highly specialized cell which has stockpiled a collection of enzymes and other molecules that empower it to completely remodel the chromosomes brought in