Final answer:
The total volume of the 32-cell mass during embryonic development remains about the same as that of the single fertilized egg due to the cleavage process, which divides the zygote into smaller cells without increasing total volume.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the initial stages of embryonic development, a fertilized egg undergoes a division process called cleavage. During cleavage, the single-celled zygote divides into multiple cells through mitosis without an increase in the total volume of the conceptus. Each division results in smaller daughter cells, termed blastomeres, which still occupy the same volume as the original zygote because they are confined within the zona pellucida. This leads to the formation of a solid ball called the morula, followed by a fluid-filled ball known as the blastula. Therefore, the correct answer to the question of whether the volume of the 32-cell mass is larger, smaller, or about the same as the single fertilized egg is that the total volume of the cells is about the same as that of the single cell.