RNDr. Mária Hovořáková, Ph.D.

ORAL HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY

Institute of Histology and Embryology (CODE B82681)
Maria.Hovorakova@lf1.cuni.cz
DEVELOPMENT OF HEAD AND NECK II.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SKULL

DERIVATIVES OF THE PHARYNGEAL ARCHES,
CLEFT AND POUCHES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS DERIVED FROM
STOMODEUM AND FROM THE PRIMITIVE
PHARYNX

Oral histology and Embryology (B82681) Institute of Histology and Embryology

The pharyngeal (branchial) arches are outpocketings of the head
and neck region into which neural crest cells migrate.
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHARYNGEAL
CLEFTS AND POUCHES

PHARYNGEAL (BRANCHIAL) APPARATUS

consists of:
(1) ph. arches,
(2) clefts, and
(3) pouches

• The primitive pharynx endodermal

epithelium lines the internal surfaces of
pharyngeal arches and passes into
pharyngeal pouches.
• The pouches develop in a craniocaudal
sequence between the arches (the first
pharyngeal pouch lies between the first
and the second arches)

Sadler, 2012
• The first pharyngeal groove
- cleft: external acoustic
meatus (ear canal)

• Active proliferation of the

mesodermal tissue of 2nd
arch causes to overlap the
3rd and 4th arches, burying
the 2nd, 3rd and 4th clefts.

• Remnants of 2-4 clefts form

cervical sinus, which is
only temporary and normally
obliterates.

Sadler, 2012
 VII IX X

Trigeminal
Each pharyngeal arch is supplied by its own cranial nerve V
nerve

• 1st arch - Trigeminal nerve:

▪ Ophthalmic branch nerve V
▪ Maxillary branch nerve V
▪ Mandibular branch nerve V

• The musculature of the fourth

arch is supplied by the superior
laryngeal branch of the vagus
nerve, and
• The sixth arch, by the recurrent
branch of the vagus nerve
 Components developing from the pharyngeal arches:
Derivatives of the pharyngeal arches cartilages
Some components ossify; other disappear or become
participating in formation of the bones of the
ligamentous.
face and neck:
Laryngeal cartilages are derived from the
fourth and sixth pharyngeal arches

Meckel´s cartilage disappears except of two small dorsal

parts that persist and form incus and malleus.
Arch 4 and 6: thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage
• MUSCLES DERIVED FROM THE PHARYNGEAL
ARCHES
• 1st arch: muscles of mastication (temporalis,
masseter, lateral and medial pterigoids),
mylohyoid, anterior belly of digastric, tensor
tympani and tensor veli palatini muscles;
mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve
• 2nd arch: muscles of facial expression
(buccinator, frontalis, platysma, orbicularis oris,
and oculi muscles), stapedius, stylohyoideus,
auricular, and posterior belly of digastric muscles;
facial nerve
• 3rd arch: stylopharyngeus muscles;
glossopharyngeal nerve
• 4th and 6th arches: muscles of the 4th arch
(cricothyroid, levator palatini, and constrictors of
pharynx) – superior laryngeal branch of the
vagus; intrinsic muscles of the larynx (6th arch) –
reccurent laryngeal branch of the vagus

• Extrinsic eye muscles: prootic myotomes

• Tongue muscles: hypaxial occipital myotomes
innervation hypoglossus nerve
PHARYNGEAL ARCH MUSCLES:

• Develop from the paraxial mesoderm derived from cranial somitomeres and occipital somites.
• The myoblasts of the sixth arch become intrinsic laryngeal muscles (not shown in scheme)
• DEVELOPMENT OF THE SKULL
• Mesenchyme around the developing brain (head mesenchyme)
• Head mesenchyme origin:

• neural crest (blue),

Sadler, 2012
• lateral plate mesoderm (yellow),
• paraxial mesoderm (red)
• DEVELOPMENT OF THE SKULL
• Mesenchyme around the developing brain (head mesenchyme)

• NEUROCRANIUM – protective case around brain

• Membranous neurocranium
• Is derived from the neural crest and paraxial mesoderm
• Intramembranous ossification, bone spicules radiate from the primary ossification centers, flat bones
are separated by narrow seams of connective tissue (sutures).
• Frontal and parietal bones, occipital squama
• Cartilaginous neurocranium (chondrocranium) – base of the developing skull, initially it consits of a
number of separate cartilagines.
• Endochondral ossification

• VISCEROCRANIUM – the skeleton of the face (neural crest)

• Cranioschisis – cranial vault fails to form

• Craniosynostosis – premature closure of sutures
• VISCEROCRANIUM is formed mainly from the first two pharyngeal arches

• The first pharyngeal (mandibular) arch

• Intramembranous ossification:
• Mandible, maxilla, zygomatic and temporal bones, and zygomatic process
• Endochondral ossification
• Meckel´s cartilage disappears except of two small dorsal parts that persist, and
form incus and malleus.
• Sphenomandibular ligament
• Trigeminal nerve (CN V)

• The second (hyoid) pharyngeal arch

• Reichert´s cartilage:
• Ventral part: lesser horn and the upper part of the body of hyoid bone (lower part
and greater horn – third arch)
• Dorsal part: stapes, styloid process
• stylohyoid ligament
• Facial nerve (CN VII)
• Mandible, maxilla,
zygomatic and temporal
bones, and zygomatic
process ossify by
intramembranous
ossification.

Sadler, 2012
 • STRUCTURES DERIVED FROM STOMODEUM AND FROM THE
PRIMITIVE PHARYNX
• The first ph. pouch expands into an elongated tubotympanic
recess: tympanic cavity, mastoid antrum, and auditory tube
• The second ph. pouch epithelium proliferates and forms buds that
penetrate surrounding mesenchyme.

• During the third

and fifth week,
the primordium
of the palatine
tonsil is
infiltrated by
lymphocytes
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
THYROID GLAND
• Thickening in the floor of the
primitive pharynx (between
tuberculum impar and
copula).
• Thyroid diverticulum grows
caudally as a bilobed
vesicle (lined with
endodermal epithelium)
connected to tongue by
thyroglossal duct (original
opening persists as the
foramen caecum of the
tongue). Thyroid begins to
function at the end of the
third month.
• Endodermal cells
proliferate, form follicles.
Ultimobranchial body
(containing parafollicular
cells (migrated from neural
crest) is incorporated into
thyroid.
• The third and fourth pouches form
a dorsal and ventral wing.
• The third pouch: in the week 5,
epithelium of the dorsal wing
differentiates into inf. parathyroid
gland, while the ventral pouch
forms the thymus. Both primordia
lose their connection with pharynx
and migrate caudally.
• Epithelium of the dorsal wing of
the fourth pouch forms superior
parathyroid gland, when it loses
contact with pharynx, attaches to
the dorsal surface of migrating
thyroid gland.
• Epithelium of the ventral wing of
the fourth pouch (+rudimentary
fifth pouch) form ultimobranchial
body, which is incorporated into
the thyroid.
• Ultimobranchial body contains
neural crest cells that differentiate
into parafollicular, calcitonin-
producing cells.
DEVELOPMENT OF ADENOHYPOPHYSIS

• RATHKE´S POUCH is an ectodermal epithelial

diverticulum of the roof of stomodeum immediately in
front of oropharyngeal membrane (week 4),
primordium of the adenohypophysis. (Thus the
anterior lobe of hypophysis - adenohypophysis is
epithelial in origin.)
• It grows dorsally towards the infundibulum
(diverticulum of the floor of the diencephalon, that
develops into neurohypophysis, the posterior lobe of
hypophysis – neurohypophysis – derives from the
neural ectoderm.)
• During the week 6 the connection of pouch with the
oral cavity disappears.
• Ectodermal epithelium of the anterior wall of Rathke´s
pouch proliferates and give rise to the pars distalis
and small extension around the infundibular stem
forms pars tuberalis.
• Proliferation of the epithelium of the anterior wall of
Rathke´s pouch reduces its lumen; remnants of lumen
persist as cysts/follicles.
• The posterior wall of Rathke´s pouch remains thin and
forms pars intermedia.
EAR DEVELOPMENT

Sadler, 2012
The otic vesicle elongates and differentiates to form a dorsal utricular portion and a ventral saccular
portion. The utricular portion becomes the semicircular canals and the utricle.

Sadler, 2012
Sadler, 2012