A zygote undergoes rapid cell divisions (cleavage) to form a spherical ball of cells: the blastula; this will further develop into a blastocyst.

What type of cell division does a zygote undergo?

Zygotes divide through a process known as mitosis, in which each cell doubles (one cell becomes two, two becomes four, and so on). This two-week stage is known as the germinal period of development and covers the time of fertilization (also called conception) to the implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus.

Does a zygote undergo mitosis or meiosis?

Gametes fuse in fertilization to produce a diploid zygote, but that zygote immediately undergoes meiosis to produce haploid spores. These spores then undergo mitosis to produce the multicellular, haploid adult.