What term describes the developmental stage from a morula to a blastocyst?

The term that describes the developmental stage from a morula to a blastocyst is "embryonic development." This stage of development occurs early in pregnancy when the fertilized egg undergoes a series of divisions. The morula is a solid ball of cells formed after several days of cleavage divisions. As these divisions continue, the cells begin to specialize and reorganize to form a hollow structure known as a blastocyst. The blastocyst is critical because it is the stage of development that implants into the uterine wall, marking the beginning of implantation and continuing the process of embryogenesis.

Conception refers to the very beginning of pregnancy, when the sperm fertilizes the egg, but does not specifically denote the process of development from the morula to the blastocyst. Fetal development pertains to the later stages of pregnancy when the embryo has already developed into a fetus, occurring after the embryonic stage is completed. The gestational phase encompasses the entire period of pregnancy rather than a specific developmental stage, making it too broad for the context of the question. Thus, embryonic development specifically captures the transformation from morula to blastocyst, highlighting the critical changes occurring at this point in the developing embryo.