Embryology overview C.

Riedinger

Overview of what becomes what.

Epiblast

Ectoderm
Mesoderm

Embryoblast
Hypoblast Endoderm

Ectoderm
-

Overall : epidermis, nervous system

neural crest cells
glial and schwann cells
melanocytes
parts of meninges
parts of teeth
dorsal root, cranial, enteric, autonomic ganglia
connective tissue of face
bones of skull
adrenal medulla
neural tube
brain + spinal cord

Mesoderm
-

overall: skeletal, muscle, connective

axial
notochord nucleus pulposus of vertebrae
paraxial
somites
myotome, scleratome, dermatome
intermediate
urogenital
lateral plate (continuous with extra-embryonic mesoderm of
amniotic cavity
parietal/somatic layer
and yolk sac
visceral/splanchnic layer)
blood, peritoneum
intraembryonic coelum pericardial, pleural and
peritoneal cavities

Endoderm
-

overall: gut tube, lining of GI tract and respiratory system (epithelium)

pharyngeal arches
thyroid gland (from foramen caecum)
lung
(from respiratory diverticulum in foregut)
liver
(hepatic diverticulum in duodenum)
pancreas
foregut:
bucopharyngeal membrane to midgut
midgut:
foregut to hindgut, initially connected to yolk sac
hindgut:
midgut to cloacal membrane, connecting stalk
(later to urogenital openings, allantois= berhindgut)
parenchymal cells of liver, pancreas, parathyroid

Yolk sack vitelline duct meckels diverticulum (if not obliterated)

Embryology overview C. Riedinger

Pharyngeal arches

Pharyngeal
arches
Vc:
Mastication
MATT
VII:
facial expression
POSS

XI:
stylopharyngeus

Sup. laryngeal:
cricothyroid
Middle + inferior
constrictor

Recurrent
laryngeal:
larynx

Pharyngeal
cartilages
Aliphenoid
malleolus incus
Meckels
cartilage
Stapes
styloid process
stylohyoid
ligament
lesser cornu of
hyoid
Greater cornu of
hyoid
body of hyoid
Thyroid cartilage
cricoid cartilage
(could also be 6)

Pharyngeal
pouches (inside)
Tympanic cavity
Eustachian tube

Pharyngeal
clefts (outside)
External
auditory
meatus

Palatine tonsils
Cervical sinus
(obliterated)
Inferior parathyroid
thymus
Superior
parathyroid
ultimo-branchial
body (parafollicular
calcitoninproducing cells)

Cross-talk between epithelium (endoderm) and mesenchyme

(mesoderm)
-

mesenchyme = undifferentiated loose connective tissue derived mainly from

mesoderm (some from neural crest cells though which are ectodermal)
parenchyma = functional parts of an organ in the body
stroma = structural tissue (connective, supportive)
differentiation of endodermal epithelium dictated by signals from
mesoderm (mesenchyme)
stomach:
gastric glands
intestines:
villi
liver:
hepatic cords
pancreas:
lung:
branching morphogenesis
branching (in bronchi) or inhibition of branching (trachea)
kidney:
dichotomous branching
ureteric bud induces mesoderm to become metanephric blastema
/mesenchyme, which in turn induces further buds

Embryology overview C. Riedinger

Endodermal derivatives
Lung
- lung diverticulum (from gut endoderm) grows into splanchnopleuric/visceral
mesoderm
- branching morphogenesis: guided by FGF10, antagonist: sonic hedgehog
- stages of lung growth: embryonic, pseudoglandular, canalicular, sacuular,
alveolar
Stomach
- thickening of foregut tube (differential growth)
more on left greater curvature
less on right lesser curvature
- 90* clockwise rotation so that:
left vagus
ant
right
post
ventral mesentery right
lesser omentum
dorsal mesentery
left
greater omentum
- pylorus rises, this makes duodenum C-shaped
- duodenum is half foregut half midgut
Liver
- diverticulum from duodenal endoderm
- pushes into septum transversum ventral mesentery
- gall bladder = ventral outpouching
Pancreas
- outgrowth of hepatic diverticulum
- dorsal bud accessory pancreatic duct / minor papilla
- ventral bud uncinate process, manjor papilla along with bile
Small intestine
- rapid enlongation of midgut causes physiological umbilical hernia
- 1* rotation, then another 90*, another 180*, all anticlockwise
Bladder
- at cloacal membrane (no mesoderm) urogenital septum grows in to divide
hindgut from allantois
- urogenital septum perineum (?)
- widening of gut on allantoic side = urogenital sinus bladder, urethra
male: only prostatic and membranous urethra
female: entire urethra
- allantois urachus median umbilical ligament

Embryology overview C. Riedinger

Mesodermal derivatives
Development of heart
from angiogenic cell clusters in extra-embryonic mesoderm
Two heart tubes form single tube during folding

Truncus arteriosus
Bulboventricular groove
Bulbis cordis
Ventricle
Atrioventricular groove

spiral septum aorta + pulmonary trunk

conus cordis RV / infundibulum

LV (trabeculated part)
atrioventricular valves
endocard. cushions sept. intermedium
(septum intermedium between right and left AV canal)
spiral septum eventually fuses with septum intermedium and muscular
ventricular septum
Atrium
auricles
Sinus venosus (right sinus horn) RA
Left sinus horn
coronary sinus
Septum primum has osteum primum (which closes) and then osteum
secundum, septum
Right/left directionality determined by nodal gene

Fetal circulation:
3 shunts:
o ductus venosus: closure within 5 days
o foramen ovale
o ductus arteriosus: closure within 10 days
changes at birth:
o lungs inflate, blood enters them and returns to the LA
o p in LA > p in RA
o foramen ovale shuts
o prostaglandin levels decrease as no more flow from umbilical vein
umbilical vein
ligamentum teres
ductus venosus
ligamentum venosum
foramen ovale
fossa ovalis
ductus arteriosus
ligamentum arteriosum (left recurrent laryngeal
winds around it)
Blood vessels:
- vasculogenesis:
- angiogenesis:

differentiation from within a cell mass

invasion of tissue from existing blood vessels

Embryology overview C. Riedinger

Septum transversum
- thickened sheet of mesoderm between cardiogenic area and cranial margin of
disc, later caudal and anterior to gut tube
- septum transversum central tendon of diaphragm
- septum transversum also makes VENTRAL MESENTERY for caudal portion
of foregut: liver, stomach, spleen
- complete diaphragm develops from:
o septum transversum
o somatic mesoderm from body wall
o mesentery of oesophagus
o pleuroperitoneal membrane
o myoblasts from cervical somites
Kidney
- from intra-embryonic intermediate mesoderm
- nephric part or urogenital ridge
- pronephros
regresses early, non-functional
- mesonephros
functional, regresses
- metanephros
definite kidney
- duct from pronephros through mesonephros to urogenital sinus = mesonephric
duct (Wolffian duct)
- mesonephric duct outpouching/metanephric diverticulum
ureteric bud metanephros

Embryology overview C. Riedinger

Urogenital system
- same origin as kidney, from from intra-embryonic intermediate mesoderm
- gonadal part of urogenital ridge
- migrating primordial germ cells enter and induce sex-specific differentiation =
end of indifferent stage (germ cells originate from epiblast?)
germ cells spermatogonia / oocytes
- SRY (XY gene product), SOX9 crucial for development of testes
male:
- mesonephric duct
-

vas deferens
epididymis
seminal vesicle
paramesonephric duct
regresses to prostratic utricle, appendix of
the testes, ejaculatory duct
mesonephric mesenchyme Leydig cells (make androgens!)
making testosterone requires 5-alpha reductase
sex cords
sertoli cells (Muellerian inhibitory substance
to suppress formation of femal genitalia!) +
seminiferous tubules (spermatogenesis)
gubernaculum guides descent of testes
gubernaculum
scrotal ligament
genital tubercle / urogenital folds
penis
corpora cavernosa
corpus spongiosum
labioscrotal swellings /folds
scrotum

female:
- mesonephric duct
- paramesonephric duct

regresses to Gartners cyst in wall of vagina

fallopian tubes
uterus
top of vagina
(inf end of vagina develops from urogenital sinus (sinovaginal bulb))
mesonephric mesenchyme thecal cells (make corpuls luteum to make
progesterone but also androgens)
sex cords break up and condense around germ cells primary follicles
gubernaculum
round ligament of ovary and uterus
genital tubercle
clitoris
corpus cavernosa
bulbospongiosum
urethral folds
labia minora
labioscrotal swellings
labia majora