ELEMENTS OF EMBRYOLOGY REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE INTERNAL MANDIBULAR ARCH

CORINA CIUPILAN
“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy – Iasi, Romania

Department of Anatomy

ABSTRACT
In dentistry, the interdisciplinary applications are a very important acquisition for the health
status of the components of the stomatognathic system. The components of the stomatognathic system
cannot be separately interpreted, but in close functional and dysfunctional correlation, all these in an
interrelation with the other systems and subsystems of the human body.
Nowadays, embryology becomes one of the most dynamic and attractive branches of biology,
having to use the knowledge of molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry, trying to actively explain
and intervene not only in pathological morphogenesis processes, but also in congenital metabolic
diseases; it attempts to elucidate the biochemical processes that direct the cell differentiations,
reshufflings, assembling, growth and regression of particular organs or tissues, modeling other
organs, tissues or the complete embryo.
The first branchial arch, or the mandibular arch (see first visceral arch) is formed in the
mesenchymal structure of the anterior parachordal area and the anterior area of the rhombencephalon
and mesencephalon. The mandibular buds are formed in the fourth week (23 days) of intrauterine life,
and they will unite medially and ventrally to form the first branchial arch. In primitive vertebrates, the
cartilage of the first branchial arch (Meckel's cartilage) forms the mandible. In humans, the first
branchial arch is closely related to mandible development, but it doesn’t contribute to it. The arteries
come from the internal maxillary artery, via the alveolar artery, infraorbital artery, sphenopalatine
artery, and descending palatine artery for the upper gingiva, and from inferior dental artery for the
lower maxillary. In addition, the lower gingiva is supplied by branches of the sublingual artery as well,
via the submental branch; the veins are drained in lingual and facial veins. The lymphatic vessels flow
to the submental, submaxillary and jugular nodes.
 The nerves originating from the trigeminal nerve, for the upper gingiva, are branches of the
upper maxillary, via the posterior and anterior dental fillets, while for the lower gingiva, there are
branches from the inferior maxillary nerve, via the inferior dental – closed fillets and molars.
The structure of massive maxillary is determined by the laws of functional dynamics; under the
influence of the pressures during chewing with the teeth of the mandibular dental arcade, bone
condensing areas are formed, the pillars of strength, namely: frontal-nasal pillar, zygomaticomaxillary
pillar, and the pterygopalatine pillar, whose branches spread the mastication pressure forces on the
base of the skull.
The mandible is the support of the inferior facial third and takes part in mastication, deglutition,
phonation, and esthetic function, as well as in the oral competence.
Its particularity is the great mobility, a quality that offers the possibility of movement in all
directions.

KEYWORDS: mandibular buds, branchial arch, mandible, mandibular arcade.