EMBRYOLOGY MODELS

Dr. Sucharitha A

SIMS & RC
GENERAL EMBRYOLOGY
• After fertilization zygote
undergoes successive
cleavage divisions.
• Cells formed –
blastomers
• Cleavage division –
holoblastic
• At 16 cell stage the
mass is known as
morula.
• Cells of morula are similar
in cell size & structure.
• Cells in the centre – inner
cell mass – embryo
proper
• Cells in the periphery –
outer cell mass –
protective & nutritive
coverings of the embryo
• Continued accumulation
of fluid converts morula
into a fluid filled single
cavity blastocele .
• Cells in the region of
primitive streak
proliferate and migrate
sideways pushing
themseleves between
the ectoderm and
endoderm to form
intraembryonic
mesoderm(secondary
mesoderm)
• Process – Gastrulation.
• Green color – Amniotic cavity.
• Yellow color – Secondary yolk
sac.
• White color – Extraembryonic
coelome.
• Inner cell of morulla –
Embryoblast.
• Embryoblast differntiates into 2
layers on 8 day.
• A layer of cuboidal cells on
luminal surface – primary
endoderm.
• Cells on outer surface – tall
columnars – primary ectoderm.
• Full term placenta is
disc shaped.
• It has 2 surfaces.
• Fetal surface – Smooth,
covered by amnion.
• Umbilical cord is
attached at center.
• Beneath the amnion,
umbilical vessels radiate
from the cord.
• Maternal surface –
Rough and irregular. It
has 15 – 30 polygonal
areas known as
“Cotyledons”.
• Mesodermal cells in the
midline proliferate and
form a thickened plate of
tissue known as Paraxial
Mesoderm.
• Laterally, mesodermal layer
remains thin and is known
as Lateral plate.
• Intermediate mesoderm is
tissue connecting paraxial
and lateral plate
mesoderm.
• Intercellular clefts / cavities in
the lateral plate coalesce to
form embryonic body
cavities / intraembryonic
coelomic cavity.
• This cavity divides mesoderm
into 2 layers,
– Visceral Mesoderm, a layer
continuos with yolk sac.
– Parietal Mesoderm, a layer
continuous with amniotic cavity.
• As a result of
cephalocaudal folding
an endoderm lined
cavity is formed in the
embryo.
• In the anterior part, the
endoderm forms the
foregut.
• In the tail region it
forms the hindgut.
• When embryo folds in
cephalocaudal and lateral
directions the connection
between extraembryonic
and intraembryonic coelom
is lost.
• As a result of cephalocaudal
and lateral foldings allantois
is partially incorporated and
it forms the cloaca.
• Temporarily the midgut
communicates with yolk
sac by vitelline duct.
• At 3rd week bucco-
pharyngeal membrane
ruptures, thus the
amniotic cavity
communicates with the
primitive gut.
• Intially the intraembryonic
cavity connects on right and
left sides with the
extraembryonic coelom.
• Amniotic cavity.
• Connection between gut
and yolk sac.
• Surface ectoderm.
• Embryonic body cells.
• Second arch grows over
the 3rd and 4th arches,
thus burying the 2nd, 3rd
and 4th pharyngeal
clefts.
• Remnants of the 2nd , 3rd
and 4th pharyngeal clefts
form the cervical sinus
which is also
obliterated.
• Dorsal part of 1st and 2nd
pouch gives rise to tubo-
tympanic recess, proximal part
of this recess - auditory tube
and distal part – middle ear
cavity and tympanic antrum.
• Ventral part of 2nd pouch –
Tonsil.
• 3rd pouch – Inferior
parathyroid and thymus.
• 4th pouch – Superior
parathyroid and
ultimobranchial body.
• Cut edge of an amnion.
• Neural plate in the mid-
dorsal region of the
primitive pit.
• Lateral edges of the
neural plate elevates to
form neural folds.
• At the middle, neural
groove is present. On
either side of it, somites
are seen.
• Below, primitive pit and
primitive streak are seen.
GASTRO INTESTINAL SYSTEM
• Tuberculum impaire –
unpaired median
elevation between 1st and
2nd arches.
• Lingual swellings are
present at the ventral
ends of 1st arch.
• Most of the thyroglossal
duct disappears, its
commencement is
represented by foramen
caecum.
• 3 endodermal elevations –
a pair of lingual swellings
and tuberculum impaire.
The combined mass forms
ventral two-thirds of the
tongue.
• Hypobrochial eminence –
median endodermal
elevation forms dorsal one
third of the tongue.
• Stomach develops as a fusiform
dilatation from the lower part
of the foregut during 4th week.
• Dorsal border grows more
rapidly than ventral border.
• Eventually, ventral border
becomes concave forming
future lesser curvature.
• Subsequently, the stomach
undergoes 90 degree rotation
to the right around a vertical
axis, so that the original left
surface becomes ventral and
the right surface dorsal.
• Pancreas develops from
2 endodermal buds –
dorsal & ventral.
• Ventral bud – lower part
of head & uncinate
process.
• Dorsal bud – Rest of the
pancreas.
• Main pancreatic duct
opens into duodenum
at the major duodenal
papilla along with the
bile duct.
• Smaller ductules are
derived from the
repeated sprouting of
the dorsal and ventral
pancreatic ducts.
• Axial rotation of the
duodenum – ventral bud
appears on the postero-
medial aspect. The fusion
of the two buds takes place
in the 7th week .
• With the rotation of the
duodenum, the
pancreas rotates to the
right, so that the
original right surface
which is covered with
peritoneum now
becomes posterior.
Later, the peritoneum
disappears.
• Falciform ligament is
extending between liver
and anterior abdominal
wall.
• Lesser omentum extending
between liver and foregut.
• Liver is entirely surrounded
by peritoneum except in
contact with diaphragm
(Bare area).
• The liver expands caudally
into abdominal cavity.
• Condensation of
mesenchyme in the area
between the liver and
pericardial cavity.
• Formation of diaphragm
from septum transversum.
UROGENITAL SYSTEM
• Cranially paramesonephric
ducts lie lateral to the
mesonephric ducts.
• When traced caudally they
cross to the medial side of
the mesonephric duct and
fuse in the midline to
formuterovaginal canal.
• In Female,
paramesonephric ducts
gives rise to unfused parts
to uterine tubes, fused
parts to uterus and part of
vagina.
• In Male, they remain
rudimentary.
• Greater part of the duct
disappears. Cranially it
persists as appendix of
testes.
• In female – Genital
tubercle becomes
cylinderical and forms
clitoris.
• Genital swellings form
Labia Majora.
• Urethral folds form
Labia Minora.
• In male – Genital
tubercle elongates to
form Phallus, which
subsequently forms
Penis.
• Genital swellings form
scrotal swellings.
• Urethral folds form
Urethral groove.
• Collecting part of the kidney is
derived from ureteric bud
which develops from lower
part of the mesonephric duct.
• Growing end of the ureteric
bud dilates to form the
ampulla.
• Ampulla divides repeatedly.
• First 3 to 5 generations of
branches fuse to form pelvis,
next divisions – major calyces,
further divisions – minor
calyces and collecting tubules.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• Heart is developed from
Mesoderm during the
stage of Morulation.
• Cardiac progenitor cells
migrate cranially and
position themselves
rostral to bucco-
pharyngeal membrane.
• Foregut – Part of yolk
sac contained within the
head fold.
• Heart tube – lies
inbetween the ventral
wall of the foregut and
the pericardial sac.
• Pericardial Sac – lies in
the ventral wall of the
foregut.
• Hindgut – Part of the
yolk sac within the tail
fold.
• Foregut is separated
from primitive mouth
cavity by a bilaminar
bucco-pharyngeal
membrane, which
ruptures at 4th week.
• Caudal end of hindgut is
separated from surface
ectoderm by a bilaminar
cloacal membrane.
• Heart tube shows series of
dilatations from cranial to
caudal end.
– Bulbus cardis
– Ventricle
– Atrium
– Sinus Venosus
• Bulbus cardis represents
the arterial end of the
heart. It has a proximal
part called conus and distal
part Truncus arteriosus.
• Sinus Venosus – represents
venous end. One Vitelline
vein from the yolk sac, one
umbilical vein from
placenta and one common
cardinal vein from the body
wall joins each horn of the
sinus venosus.
• Cardiac loop is mainly
contributed by the
bulbus cardis and the
ventricle, hence it is
called bulbo-ventricular
loop.
• Heart tube bulges ventrally
and somewhat caudally into
the pericardial sac in the U-
shaped manner.
• The cephalic limb of the
loop is formed by bulbus
cardis, which is displaced
caudally, ventrally and to
the right.
• The caudal limb is formed
by the primitive ventricle
displaced to the left.
• Primitive atrium is
shifted postero-superior
to the ventricle.
• Formation of cardiac
loop is completed by
the end of the 4th week.
 Intraventricular septum
grows upwards from the
floor of the bulboventricular
cavity.
• It partially fuses with the
septum intermedium this
forms the membranous part
of interventricular septum.
• The gap above the
cephalic free margin of
the ventricular septum is
called ventricular
foramina.
• Formation of bulbar
septum – Right and left
bulbar ridges arise in the
bulbus cordis. They fuse
to form the bulbar
septum.
• The bulbar septum grows
downwards and fuses
with the upper margin of
the ventricular septum
and closes the ventricular
foramen.
• From the ventral and dorsal
walls of the atrioventricular
canal, the mesenchymal cells
proliferate and form the
ventral and dorsal
endocardial cushions.
• Eventually, they fuse to form
septum intermedium.
• This septum divides the atrio-
ventricular canal into right
and left atrioventricular
orifices.
• Septum primum develops
from the roof and dorsal
wall of the primitive atrium
in the median plane.
• Septum primum grows
downwards and fuses with
the septum intermedium,
thus closing the foramen
primum.
• Septum spurium is situated
to the right of the septum
primum.
• Before closure of primum,
foramen secondum
appears on the upper part
of septum primum.
• Septum secondum now
arises from the roof of the
atrial chamber. It grows
downwards and overlaps
the foramen secondum,
now the foramen is called
foramen ovale.
• In the 5th week, three pairs of
major veins are seen.
• Vitelline veins carrying blood
from yolk sac to the sinus
venosus.
• Umbilical veins originating in
the chorionic villi and
carrying oxygenated blood to
the embryo.
• Cardinal veins draining the
body of the embryo proper.
• Common Carotid – 3rd arch
artery proximal to the
external carotid bud.
• External carotid artery –
arises as a bud from the 3rd
arch artery.
• Arch of aorta – Ventral part
of aortic sac, its left horn
and left 4th arch artery.
• Brachiocephalic artery – right
horn of aortic sac.
• Right subclavian artery –
Right 4th arch artery and 7th
cervical intersegmental
artery.
• Ductus arteriosus – It is
obliterated and forms
ligamentum arteriosum.
• As a result of caudal shift of
heart and disappearance of
various portions of the aortic
arches, the course of
recurrent laryngeal nerves on
right and left sides differs.
• On the right side, it moves up
and hooks around the right
subclavian artery. On the left
side, it hooks around the
ductus arteriosus.
• On the right side, distal part
of the 6th aortic arch and 5th
aortic arch disappears.

• On the left side, 6th aortic

arch persists as the
ligamentum arteriosum.
• Vitelline veins develop from
the capillary plexus of the
splanchnic mesoderm around
the yolk sac.
• There are headwards on
either side of the primitive
duodenum and finally drains
into the sinus venosus.
• Lung bud subdivides the
vitelline vein into three parts,
infrahepatic, intrahepatic and
suprahepatic.
• Liver cords grows into
septum transversum and
interrupts the course of
vitelline veins, thus
hepatic sinusoids are
formed.
• Portal vein – anastomotic
network around the
duodenum develops into
single portal vein.
• Superior Mesenteric vein is
developed from right vitelline
vein.
• Suprahepatic part of right
vitelline vein forms
intrahepatic part of IVC.
• Right umbilical vein
disappears.
• Left umbilical vein carries
blood from placenta to liver.
• With increase of placental
circulation, ductus venosus
carries blood directly from
left umbilical vein to the
right suprahepatic part of
vitelline vein (IVC).
• After birth, left umbilical
vein forms ligamentum
teres hepatis and ductus
venosus is obliterated to
form ligamentum venosus.
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• During the 4th week, lung
bud appears at the ventral
wall of the foregut.
• Lungbud seperated from
the dorsal part of the
foregut by esophago-
tracheal septum.
• Foregut is divided into a
ventral portion, the
respiratory primordium and
a dorsal portion esophagus.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Three flexures affect the
primitive brain –
Cephalic, Cervical and
Pontine.
• Cephalic and cervical
flexures are concave
ventrally whereas
pontine flexure exhibits
a ventral convexity.
• Basal plate contains three
groups of motor neurons –
Medial somatic efferent
group, special visceral
efferent group and general
visceral group.
• Alar plate contains three
groups of sensory nuclei –
Lateral somatic afferent,
special visceral afferent group
and general visceral afferent
group.
THE END