VetRepro

Stories and thoughts about small animal reproduction and ultrasound


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Roads…part 2

The destination of our journey is “Parturition”. The beginning is “Embryogenesis”. Embryogenesis of both female and male – we know that it takes two to tango!

The road that connects them is comprised by many segments, such as sex determination and differentiation, development of male and female genital systems, puberty, steroidogenesis and hormonal regulation, folliculogenesis, oogenesis and ovulation, spermatogenesis, fertilization, maternal recognition of the conceptus, placentation and pregnancy!

All these so different – but so closely related and sometimes so difficult to distinguish – events are the result of a sequence of several other facts which in their turn are analyzed in a even more complicated network of biochemistry interactions!

And at the end you realize that every little cell, every little protein or molecule is there for a very special reason!

Trying to follow the road to parturition is a real challenge…stay tuned!