SNELL Neuroanatomy Notes:

3rd wk
o Neural plate
Thickening bet primitive node & bucopharyngeal membrane
Pear shaped
Wider cranially
Develops longitudinal neural groove
Groove deepens bounded on each side by neural folds

Neural
o
o
o

Development of the Nervous System

Ectoderm
o Third outermost layer
o Columnar epithelium
o Gives rise to entire Nervous system

folds fuse
Neural groove converted neural tube
Fusion starts at midpoint extends cranially & caudally
Earliest stage:
Cavity of tube remains in communication c amniotic cavity thry
Anterior neuropore
o Close first
Posterior neuropore
o Close 2 days later
28 d neural tube closure complete
Neural tube sunk beneath surface ectoderm
Invagination of Neural Plate
o Cells forming lat margin of plate form strip of ectodermal cells
Bet neural tube & surf ectoderm
Called Neural crest
o Neural crest
Migrate ventrolat on each side
Around neural tube
Will differentiate into:
DRG

Sensory ganglia of CN
Autonomic ganglia
Cells of suprarenal medulla
Melanocytes
Mesenchymal cells of head & neck (believed)
Proliferation of cells of cephalic end of NT dilate & form
o Three primary brain vesicles
Forebrain vesicle
Midbrain vesicle
Hindbrain vesicle
o Rest of tube elongates SC

Excessive neurons & neuroglia are developed

o Nearly have undergo programmed cell death
Telencephalon
o Cerebrum
o BG
o Hippocampus
Diencephalon
o Thalamus
o Hypothalamus
o Pineal body
o Infundibulum
Mesencephalon
o Tectum
o Tegmentum
o Crus Cerebri
Metencephalon
o Pons
o Cerebellum
Myelencephalon

Medulla

SPINAL CORD
Matrix cells
o Pseudostratified columnar
o Wall of neural tube
o Thick zone of epithelium
Extends from cavity of tube to exterior
Called Ventricular zone
Ventricular zone
o Nuclei of cells move in toward cavity to divide
o & out toward periphery during intermitotic phases
o Repeated division length & diameter of NT
Neuroblasts
o Eventually formed
o Incapable of further division
o Migrate peripherally to form intermediate zone
Intermediate zone
o Form gray matter of SC
o Neuroblasts five rise to nerve fibers grow peripherally form layer
marginal zone
Marginal zone
o Form white matter of SC

Matrix cells also give rise to

o Astrocytes
o Oligodendrocytes
Microglial cells
o Derived from surrounding mesenchyme
o Migrate into developing SC along c BV
Ependymal cells
o From matrix cells that line neural tube
Cavity of NT narrowed
o Form dorsiventral cleft
o Thick lateral walls
o Thin Floor & Roof plates
Intermediate zones form
o Large anterior thickening basal plate motor AHC
o Small posterior thickening alar plate sensory of post col
Sulcus limitans
o Separate basal & alar plates
Continued growth of basal plates anterior median fissure
Alar plates increase size, extend medially walls of posterior portion fuse
posterior median septum

Lumen of NT central canal

FURTHER DEVT OF MOTOR NEURONS

Medial grp of motor neurons form
o large multipolar cells axons leave ant surf
Lateral
o Axons leave ant surf
o As autonomic preganglionic fibers
o T1L2/3 lateral gray column
Sympathetic outflow
DEVT OF FIRST AFFERENT NEURONS IN SENSORY PATHWAY
1st neurons in sensory pathway
o cell bodies outside SC
o derived from neural crest cells
Neural crest cells
o Migrate to posterolateral position
o Segmented into cell clusters
o Some cells in each cluster differentiate neuroblasts
o Each neuroblast develop (2) processes:
Peripheral grow out laterally axons
Central grow into posterior part of SC

o
o
o

End in posterior gray column or

Ascend through marginal gray column
Central process posterior root of SC
Some NC cells form
Capsular/satellite cells surround unipolar nerve cell bodies in
ganglion
DRG unipolar neurons + capsular cells

Myelencephalon
o MO

Basic pattern of ventricles establish

o Lateral ventricles cerebral hemisphere
o Third diencephalon
o Cerebral aqueduct midbrain
o Fourth hindbrain
IV foramina
o Lateral third ventricle

FURTHER DEVT OF SENSORY NEURONS IN POST GRAY COL

Neuroblasts that have entered alar plates develop processes that enter marginal
zone on SAME side
o Ascend or descend
Medulla Oblongata (Myelencephalon)
Others send processes to opposite side thru floor plate
Walls of hindbrain initially (typical in NT)
o Ascend/descend variable dist
o Basal plates
o Alar plates
DEVT OF MENINGES & RELATION OF SC TO VERT COL
o Sulcus limitans
Meninges (DAP)
Devt lateral walls moved laterally (clamshell) at higher levels
o From mesenchyme (sclerotome) that surrounds NT
o Expanding fourth ventricle
SA space
o /: alar plates lie lateral to basal plates
o Cavity in mesenchyme
Neurons of basal plate
o Filled c CSF
o Motor nuclei CN 912
Ligamentum denticulatum
o Floor of 4th ventricle
o From areas of condensation of mesenchyme
Neurons of alar plate
o Attach pia to dura & arachnoid
o Sensory nuclei CN 5 8 9 10
o 21 on each side
o Gracile & cuneate nuclei
o Other cells migrate ventrolat olivary nuclei
Disproportionate growth of vert col & SC
Roof
o Pia mater attached to coccygeal end of SC to coccyx
o Stretched into thin layer of ependymal tissue
Extends down to coccyx filum terminale
o Vascular mesenchyme in contact c outer surface forms:
Development of limb buds & addition of sensory & motor neurons:
Pia mater
o Cervical
Tela choroidea
o Lumbar enlargements
o Roof plate + pia mater
Choroid plexus
BRAIN
o Vascular tufts of tela choroidea project into 4th ventricle
5w
Pyramids
Forebrain
o Prominent swellings
Telencephalon
o Marginal layer of anterior aspect of medulla
o Primitive cerebral hemispheres
o Descending axons from motor area (precentral gyrus)
Diencephalon
o Optic vesicles
Hindbrain
Metencephalon
o Pons
o Cerebellum

PONS (VENTRAL PART OF METENCEPHALON)

Also receive contribution from alar part of myelencephalon
Neurons of basal plates
o Motor nuclei 5-7
o Ventromedial part of alar plate
Main sensory nucleus 5
Sensory nucleus 7
Vestibular & cochlear nuclei 8
Pontine nuclei
Axons grow transversely to enter cerebellum forming
o Transverse pontine fibers & middle cerebellar
peduncle

CEREBELLUM (POST PART OF METENCEPHALON)

Formed from Posterior part of alar plates
Alar plates bend medially rhombic lips
o enlarge Project caudally over roof plate unite in midline
12 w
o Vermis
o Cerebellar hemispheres
End of 4m
o Fissures on surface of cerebllum
o Charachteristic folia
Neuroblasts from matrix cells in ventricular zone
o Migrate to surface cerebellar cortex
o Remain close to ventricular surface differentiate into:
Dentate
Other deep cerebellar nuclei
Axons gow out into mesencephalon superior cerebellar peduncle
Connect cerebellum c cerebrum
o Corticopontine
o Pontocerebellar fibers
o middle cerebellar peduncle formed
inferior cerebellar peduncle formed largely by sensory from
o SC
o Vestibular nuclei
o Olivary nuclei

MIDBRAIN (MESENCEPHALON)
Cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius)
Neuroblasts in basal plates differentiate:
o CN 3,4
o Red nuclei
o Substantia nigra
o Reticular formation
Marginal zone of basal plate
o Enlarges basis pedunculi by:
Descent of nerve fibers from cortex to lower motor centers in pons &
SC
Corticopontine
Coticobulbar
Corticospinal tracts
Two alar plates & original roof plate Tectum
o Neuroblasts in alar plates differentiate
Superior colliculi visual reflexes
Inferior colliculi auditory reflexes
CN 4 emerge on post surface decussate in superior medullary velum
CN 3 emerge between cerebral peduncles

FATE OF THE DIENCEPHALON

Cavity 3rd V
Small diverticulum on roof pineal body
Remainder of roof choroid plexus of 3rd V
Thalamus
o Arises as thickening of alar plate on each side
Posterior to thalamus
o Medial geniculate body
o Lateral geniculate body
Continued growth of thalami 3rd V narrowed
o may for interthalamic connection of gray matter that crosses 3rd V
Lower part of alar plate hypothalamic nuclei
o Mammillary body
Infundibulum
o Diverticulum from floor of diencephalon
o stalk & pars nervosa

FATE OF TELENCEPHALON

FOREBRAIN (PROSENCEPHALON)

Roof & floor remain thin

Lateral walls thicken
Optic vesicle
o Become:
Optic nerve
Retina
o Lateral diverticulum appears on side of forebrain
o Above it Telencephalon
o Below Diencephalon
Telencephalon
o Develop lateral diverticulum on each side lateral ventricle
Anterior part of 3rd ventricle
o Formed by medial part of telencephalon
o Ends in lamina terminalis rostral end of neural tube
Opening into each lateral ventricle IV foramen

Telenchephalon anterior end of 3rd V

o Closed by lamina terminalis
Cerebral hemisphere
o Diverticulum on each side

Formed by ependymal cells invaginated by vascular mesoderm

Choroid plexus
Tentorium cerebelli
o From mesenchyme which condenses
Matrix cells on floor of forebrain vesicle proliferate neuroblasts
o Form projection encroaching lateral ventricles corpus striatum
differentiate:
Caudate nucleus dorsomedial
Lentiform ventrolateral
Putamen lateral
GP medial
Hemisphere expands pushing caudate nucleus & thalamus inward close
contact
Hippocampus
o Longitudinal thickening of forebrain vesicle protrudes into lat vent
Maturing neurons in diff parts of nervous system send axons to & from cortex
o Ascending
o Descending tracts
o forced to pass between

thalamus & caudate medially Caudate & lentiform laterally

Internal capsule
o Compact bundle ascending/descendin
External capsule
o Few cortical projection fibers that pass lateral to lentiform nucleus
o

CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES

5w
Expands superiorly
Walls thicken
Mesenchyme between each hemisphere condenses falx cerebri
Cerebral hemispheres grow rapidly
o Anteriorly first frontal
o Lat & sup parietal
o Post & inf occipital & temporal
Medial wall remain thin

CEREBRAL CORTEX
Rapid expansion of hemispheres
o Convolutions/gyri
Sep by fissures/sulci
Insula
o Cortex covering lentiform nucleus
o Remains buried in lateral sulcus d/t overgrowth of adjacent temporal,
parietal, frontal lobes

Pyramidal cells
o Motor cortex
Granular cells
o Sensory areas

COMISSURES
Lamina terminalis
o Cephalic end of neural tube
o Bridge between 2 hemispheres
o Enables nerve fibers to pass each other
Anterior commissure
o 1st commissure to develop
o runs in lamina terminalis
o connects olfactory bulb and temporal lobe on one side to other side
Fornix
o 2nd
o connects cortex of hippocampus in each hemisphere
Corpus callosum
o 3rd
o largest, most impt
o connect frontal & parietal lobes
o arches back over roof of 3rd V
Septum pellucidum
o Remains of lamina terminalis
o Lie bet corpus c & fornix
o Become stretched out thin septum
o Partition bet lateral vents
Optic chiasma
o Formed in inferior part of lamina terminalis
o Fibers from medial halves of retinae
o Cross midline optic tract pass to
Lat geniculate body
Superior colliculus

MYELINATION
SC
Cervical first caudal
Sensory first

Brain
Basal ganglia first
Later, sensory from SC myelinate

Birth brain largely unmyelinated