DEVELOPMEN

T OF FACE &
TONGUE

DEVELOPMENT OF
FACE
Development of the face starts at the end
of 4 weeks from four primordia that
surround a central depression called --The
Stomodeum ( Future mouth)
These include:
1. Frontonasal process (single cranially
located)
2. Bilateral maxillary processes
3. Mandibular process (derived from 1st
branchial arch)

 Frontonasal prominence :
Surrounds the forebrain

sprouts lateral optic diverticula

Eyes

 The frontal portion of the prominence b/w the

eyes forms the Forehead

 At the infero-lateral corners, thickened

ectodermal nasal placodes arise

 These placodes are induced by the underlying olfactory

nerves

Invaginate
Demarcate the
lateral nasal prominences.

medial and
Nasal pits

Precursors to Anterior nares

This creates a ridge of tissue

that surrounds each pit and
forms the nasal prominences.

The prominences on the outer

edges of the pits are the lateral
nasal prominences & those on
the inner edge are the median
nasal prominences.

UNION OF THE
FACIAL
PROMINENCES
Next, is the union of the facial
prominences by either of the 2 below
developmental events:
Merging of the frontonasal, maxillary
and mandibular prominences
OR
Fusion of the central maxillonasal
components

 Merging is completed as a result of proliferation of

the underlying mesenchyme into the intervening
grooves
The above is guided by the disintegration of the
contacting surface epithelium b/w the processes
termed as Nasal fin
Failure of normal disintegration of nasal fin may be
due to cell death or mesenchymal transformation
Leads to cleft of upper lip and anterior palate (due to
prevention of merging of mesenchyme of maxillary
and medial nasal processes)

 Fusion of medial nasal process &

maxillary process produces continuity of
the upper jaw & the lip

 Midline merging of
medial nasal
prominences forms :
Philtrum of upper lip
Median tubercle
Tip of the nose
Primary palate

 The lower lip & jaw are formed by the midline merging of
the paired mandibular prominences.

Commisures of the mouth are formed by the lateral

merging of the maxillary & mandibular prominences.

All the regions in the face grow proportionally at all times

ie any misproportioning at this time may lead to various
cranio-facial defects

VARIOUS CRANIOFACIAL DEFECTS:

Acephaly (Absence of head)
Anencephaly (Absence of brain)
Acrania (Absent skull)
Acalvaria (Roofless skull)
Cranioschisis (Fissured cranium)
Premaxillary agenesis (Median cleft lip/palate)
Premaxillary dysgenesis (Bilateral cleft lip/palate)
Agnathia (Absent mandible)

 Specific structures:

Nose
Eyes
Ears
Cheeks
Tongue

NOSE:
Complex structure with contributions from :
-- Frontal prominence
-- Merged MNP

- Bridge
- Median ridge
- Tip

-- Lateral nasal Prominence - Alae

-- Cartilage nasal capsule
conchae

- Septum
- Nasal

NASOLACRIMAL
DUCT:
Presence of deep furrow
Migration of epithelial cells into

the mesenchyme
Canalization of these cords to

form the naso lacrimal duct

Upper end widens to form the

lacrimal sac
Duct becomes patent only after

birth

EYES:
On the ventrolateral aspect

of the developing forebrain,

ectodermal thickenings
appear as LENS PLACODE
The lens placode sinks

below the surface

epithelium is eventually cut
off from the surface
ectoderm forming the LENS
VESICLE

 At this time the developing eyeball produces significant

bulging
These bulgings are first directed laterally
Due to enormous growth of the cerebral hemispheres
the eyes migrate medially
Eyelids remain fused until the 7th month of intrauterine
life & then invading muscles allow their opening

EARS:
Formed from the dorsal part of the 1st
ectodermal cleft.
Appearance of series of mesodermal
thickenings often called tubercles or
hillocks.
Formation of pinna by fusion of these
thickenings.
When initially formed, are at the neck
region but with the development of
mandible they ascend to the side of
the head at the level of the eyes.

CHEEK
S:
After the formation of the lips the maxillary
and mandibular processes undergo
progressive fusion to form the cheeks.

DEVELOPMENT OF
TONGUE

 Development of tongue starts in the 4th

month of I.U. life
The tongue develops in relation to
pharyngeal arches in the floor of the
developing mouth
The medial most part of the
mandibular arches proliferates to form
two lingual swellings

 Lingual swellings are partially separated from

each other by another swelling that appears in
the midline . Median swelling is called the
TUBERCULAR IMPAR.
Immediately behind the tubercular impar the
epithelium proliferates to form a downward
growth (thyroglossal duct) from which the thyroid
gland develops.
The site of this downward growth is subsequently
seen as a depression called the FORAMEN
CAECUM.

 Another midline swelling is

seen in relation to medial
ends of 2nd ,3rd & 4th arches.
This swelling is called
HYPOBRANCHIAL EMINENCE.
The eminence soon shows a
subdivision into a cranial
part related to 2nd and 3rd
arches called the copula and
the caudal part related to
the 4th arch. The caudal part
form the epiglottis.

 Anterior 2/3rd (oral part) of tongue formed by fusion

of:
Tubercular impar
Two lingual swellings

Posterior 1/3rd (pharyngeal part) of tongue formed

from the cranial part of the hypobranchial
eminence (copula)
Posterior most part of the tongue derived from the
fourth arch
The tongue separates from the floor of the mouth
by a down growth of ectoderm around its periphery,
which subsequently degenerates to form the lingual
sulcus and gives the tongue mobility

 MUSCULATURE:
The muscles of the tongue have a
different origin: they arise from the
occipital somites, which have migrated
forward into the tongue area, carrying
with them their supply, the twelfth
cranial (hypoglossal) nerve
This unusual development of the
tongue explains its innervation

 NERVE SUPPLY:
anterior 2/3rd : lingual branch of mandibular
nerve
(Vth cranial nerve, derived from
1st arch)
posterior 1/3rd : glossopharyngeal nerve (IXth
cranial nerve, derived from 3rd arch)
posterior most part: superior laryngeal
nerve (Xth cranial nerve, derived from IVth
arch)

 The body & base of the tongue differ in structure of the

mucous membrane:
anterior (body)- papillary in nature
Posterior (base)- lymphatic in nature

These are separated by a V-shaped sulcus known as sulcus

terminalis
The anterior 2/3 is divide into two lateral halves by a lingual
septum which is manifested externally as median sulcus
Epithelium of tongue is at first made up of a single layer of
cells. Later it becomes stratified and papillae becomes
evident
Taste buds are formed in relation to the terminal branches of
the innervating nerve fibers.

Developmental disturbances of tongue:

Microglossia
Macroglossia
Ankyloglossia
Cleft tongue
Fissured tongue
Median rhomboid glossitis
Benign migratory glossitis
Hairy tongue
Lingual varices
Lingual thyroid nodules

THANK YOU