High power light micrograph of a hatching stage 3 embryo in vitro showing the hatching point (HP) (original magnification x1,000). Notice the plump, zona breaker cells (ZBC) at the hatching point. One of the zona-breaker cells is in metaphase (arrow).
BC = blastocystic cavity (blastocoele)
HP = hatching point
ZP = zona pellucida
From: Sathananthan et al., 2003. Printed from Reproductive Biomedicine Online.
Keywords: blastocystic cavity (blastocoele), hatching point, zona breaker cell in metaphase, zona breaker cells, zona pellucida
Source: The Virtual Human Embryo.