Final answer:
An embryo uses mitosis, not meiosis, to grow and develop inside the womb. Through mitosis, the embryo's cells divide and create genetically identical copies, allowing for an increase in cell number for growth and organ development.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an embryo is inside the womb, the cells use mitosis to grow. Mitosis is the process where a single cell divides to produce two genetically identical daughter cells.
This is essential for the growth and development of an embryo into a fetus because it increases the cell count without changing the genetic information in those cells.
Upon fertilization by a sperm, the egg completes meiosis, and the resulting zygote initiates mitotic division. The zygote divides through mitosis, increasing cell numbers to become a morula and then a blastocyst as it travels to implant in the uterine wall.
The process of mitosis is crucial for the embryo to develop into a complex organism, as it allows for an increase in cell count as well as specialization into different organs and tissues in a process known as differentiation.
Embryonic development involves repeated cycles of mitosis to both grow in size and to replace damaged or worn-out cells.
Mitosis is a fragile process, but it is the only method by which a developing embryo can add cells and structure, ultimately forming a new human being.
In summary, from the moment of conception and throughout its journey to and implantation in the uterus, the embryo undergoes mitotic cell division.