Includes Video 4 + 5 of Dr Jamil Embryology

Development up until week 3

 Organogenesis occurs between week 3 to week 8
 Primordial Germ Cells
 Formed from epiblast at the end of week two.
 Begin gamete formation (gametogenesis) at the end of week 5.

 Gastrulation
 Conversion of bilaminar disk into trilaminar disc → Gastrulation.
 At the end of 2nd week (Day 14) epiblast cells become thickened and form Primitive streak
 Primitive streak begins to cut from the caudal (anus) end till the mid-point of “caudal and rostral
(cranial) end”.
 This streak determines the midline of the body and separates the left and right sides.
 At the rostral end (cranial end) of the primitive streak – there is formation of node.
 Node  called Primitive node.

 Eventually, some cells in the center of the primitive streak and primitive node start dying 
 forms a cavity called
 Primitive groove and Primitive pit respectively
  Some cells in the edge of the Primitive groove start secreting – Fibroblast Growth Factor-8 towards the
Lateral sides.
 Before FGF-8 is secreted – epiblast layer cells are held together by E-cadherins.
 E-cadherin prevent free movement of the epiblast cells.
 FGF-8 binds on epiblast cells via FGF-8 receptors  activates the SNAIL-1 proteins present inside the
epiblast cells.
 SNAIL-1 protein  Inhibition of E-cadherins – allows the epiblast cells to move freely
 This is called Epithelial Migration.
 Freely moving epiblast cells move through the Primitive Groove towards ventral side
 → end up between the original epiblast layer and the hypoblast layer.
 The cells which migrated – differentiate into endoderm (replace hypoblast)
 Endoderm – First layer to form (mnemonic → end is beginning)
 After hypoblast is replaced by endoderm, more FGF-8 is released 
 More epiblast cells migrate and move through the primitive groove→
 This time – move downward, lateral and forward towards cranial side
 Fill up the area between the epiblast layer and the hypoblast(endoderm), differentiate into a new layer
of cells called mesoderm.
 In the end – cells of epiblast which were lining the amniotic cavity differentiate into ectoderm.
 Now Bilaminar disc → transformed to  Trilaminar disc
 Conversion of bilaminar disc to trilaminar disc  called Gastrulation.
 Mnemonic → 2 k bajae 3 rotian khalo – gas hjati hia.

 Notochord Formation
 Notogenesis
 Day 16 → More FGF-8 is released, Ectodermal cells continue migration
 Now migrate cranially through the primitive pit towards the prechordal plate (primitive pit round wali
depression) →
  This layer of cells forms a chord called the notochord, that moves underneath the ectoderm but above
the endoderm (mesoderm is not here.)
 Notochord is also called axial mesoderm → mcq
 Notochord function 
 Ectoderm → By release of growth factors and growth proteins induce the formation
ⱺ neural tube
ⱺ neural plate
 Mesoderm → By release of growth factors and growth proteins induce the differentiation of
mesoderm into
ⱺ Three layers
 Eventually notochord disappears though some remnants remain inside the intervertebral discs in the
form of nucleus pulposus

 Neural tube & Neural Crest Cell Formation

 Notochord secretes proteins and growth factors which stimulates the ectoderm cells to proliferate and
become thickened around
 the primitive streak + primitive node to
 form specialized structure  Neural plate

 Process of formation of Nervous System in vertebrates → Neurulation

 Nervous System arise from Neural plate →
 Formation of neural plate → also called neurulation → mcq
 The Neural plate keeps proliferating –
 Day 18 → Neural plate invaginates along its central axis  forms a groove called Neural groove →
mcq
 mnemonic (age 18 me grroves ajate hian)
  The Lateral folds on each side of neural grove are called Neural Fold
 Day 20 → The Neural Folds come closer and fuse with each other that gives rise to a tube, called
Neural Tube
 The lateral parts of the Neural Plate differentiate  gives rise to neural crest cells that detach once the
neural folds fuse with each other →
 As ectodermal cells 
give rise to neural tube
(neurulation) → neural
tube remains open near
prechordal plate (near
cranial side)
 this opening is
called anterior
neuropore
 It usually closes
around day 24/25
with sufficient
folate/folic acid
(Vitamin B9)
supplementation.

 Summary
 Day 16 → Notochord
 Day 18 → Neural Grooves
 Day 20 → Neural tube
 NCs + SE ka day kahi nahi likha

Derivatives of Ectoderm
Neural Tube Derivatives
 The neural tube gives rise to vesicles which develop into
  Mnemonic  COP NOP  COP Noor Orangi Pirzada
 COP carries a tube for beating
 CNS — Brain + Spinal Cord
 Optic nerve + Retina
 Sab se choti nerve sab se pehle banti hia
 Pineal gland
 Mnemonic → Bht chota sa gland bht pehle banjata hia
 Neurons
 Chote se hote hian pehle banjate hian
 Oligodendrocytes & Astrocytes (glial cells of CNS)
 Posterior pituitary glands (Neurohypophysis)
 Mnemonic  Posterior pituitary glands → chota → chota admi pehle aata hia.

Neural Crest Cell Derivatives

Neural Crest cells give rise to  mnemonic O CREST CELL
 O  odontoblast  dentin of tooth.
 Chromaffin cells of adrenal medulla 
 formation of adrenaline and noradrenaline.
 Rostral tissues i.e., connective tissue, bones, and muscles of the head and neck
 Not all BUT Majorly
 Enteric nervous system (web of neurons embedded in the wall of GIT that is second brain of our body)
 Satellite cells and Schwann cells (glial cells of PNS) (glial cells  protective + support cells in NS)
 The PNS (spinal nerves + ganglia)
 Carotid bodies (chemoreceptors that monitors the concentrations of oxygen, CO2, and pH in blood)
 Endocardial cushions  responsible for formation of the septum and valves of the heart.
 Light Skin/ dark skin – melanocytes
 Leptomeninges – Pia matter and arachnoid matter  both membrane of brain are called leptomeninges.
 Brain covered by three membrane — meninges.
 Dura matter → outer most
 Arachnoid matter → middle
 Pia matter → inner most
ⱺ Mesoderm origin
 Placodes
 If we look at the top of the embryo during the formation of the neural plate,
 We also see the thickened areas at the cranial side of the ectoderm
 These thickened areas are → Ectodermal placodes.
 Five placodes → three important.
 Olfactory placode → give rise to olfactory epithelium tissues at the roof of the nasal cavity →
 These epithelial tissues include
 Receptor cells (primary sensory neurons)
 Supporting cells
 Function of both  sense of smell.
 Lens placode → These placodes give rise to
 Lens fibre cells and
 Lens epithelial cells
 Function  far/near vision → allows the eye to focus on objects at varying distances.
 Mnemonic → lens function is FOCUS
 Otic placode → give rise to the inner ear →
 mnemonic → Inner N letter — beside N → O → Otic → Inner Ear
 Size of inner ear in newborn babies same as in adults → mcq
 Inner ear is made up of
 1) Cochlea → hearing and sound waves
 2) Semicircular canals → dynamic equilibrium → mn SD (sd card)
 3) Vestibule → static equilibrium → mn → VS (vs match)
  Two more placodes
 Epibranchial placode →
 made up of 3 more placodes
 give rise to sensory neurons of PNS.
 1) Nodose placode that forms nodose ganglia
 2) Petrosal placode that forms petrosal ganglia
 3) Geniculate placode that forms geniculate ganglia
 Trigeminal placode →
 made up of 2 placodes
 give rise to trigeminal ganglion.
 1 - Ophthalmic
 2 - Maxillomandibular

Surface Ectoderm
 All the remaining parts of the ectoderm surface that are not covered by the placode + neural plate →
considered as surface ectoderm
 Surface ectoderm gives rise to
 Mnemonic  EEE-SHARPEN
 External ear canal
 Enamel
 Epidermis (epithelium of skin called epidermis)
—
 Sweat glands + Lacrimal gland → mcq
 Hair
 Anus  Epithelium of Inferior anus
 Rathke’s pouch  Invagination/budding of epithelial tissue along the nasopharynx → this budding
gives rise to the anterior pituitary gland.
 Parotid Gland.
 Epithelium of
 nasal cavity (except roof, comes rom olfactory placode)
 oral cavity
 inferior anus (repeat kia hia)
 Nails

In general – acc to Coffeedent –

Mesoderm  muscles
Neural crest tissues  skeletal system
Neuroectoderm  Nervous System.

Video 5 – Derivatives of Mesoderm

o Mesodermal Derivatives
Recall Notochord function 2 →
 secretes proteins and growth factors — GH and SHH (sonic hedgehog protein) which stimulates
adjacent mesoderm to differentiate into three layers.
 Paraxial mesoderm – most medial
 Adjacent to neural tube & notochord.
 Intermediate Mesoderm – middle
 Lateral plate Mesoderm – most lateral
 Lateral mesoderm further divides into two
 Somatic layer / Somatopleure 
ⱺ upper layer – towards ectoderm
ⱺ mn → somato → tomato → bahar chilka
 Splanchnic layer / Splanchnopleure 
 ⱺ lower layer – towards endoderm
ⱺ mn → spleen → inside → endo

 Mesoderm
It has further 3 parts.
 Paraxial part that forms axial skeleton
 Intermediate part that forms kidneys and gonads
 Lateral part that forms splanchnic part (for GI organs) and Somatic part.
 3. Endoderm
 forms the lining of GI tract, accessory organs and glands.

 Paraxial Mesoderm
 It segments into chunks called somites
 Each somite (chunk) develops a cavity in the center called a somitocoele.
 Number of somite on 30th day of embryonic life  30 35 → mcq

 Somitocoele further extends and separates the somite into 3 portions

 Dermatome dorsally
 Myotome in the middle
 Sclerotome ventrally

 Dermatome  gives rise to  mnemonic – SSD

 Spinal meninges
  Recall – Neural tube forms CNS – dermatome migrates and surrounds the neural tube and forms
the spinal cord and forms spinal meninges
 Skin – dermis and connective tissue of skin.
 Connective tissue of all the body is derived from mesoderm except head and neck which is
derived from neural crest cells → mcq

 Myotome  gives rise to  mnemonic  MS – MS Dhoni muscular person.

 Remaining Skeletal muscles of the body
 Epaxial muscles – dorsal muscles of the back
 Hypaxial muscles – muscles of trunk and limbs.

 Sclerotome  gives rise to  VIR (Very important Reason) (vertebrae very important in body)
 Vertebrae (all parts of vertebrae)
 Intervertebral disc
 Ribs.

 Intermediate Mesoderm –
 It gives rise to  mnemonic  GIRD (from GERD)
 Renal system – includes the kidneys and ureters
 Gonads (testes in males and ovaries in female)
 Ductal system
 epididymis and vas deferens ducts in males &
 fallopian tubes and uterus in females.
 Lateral Plate Mesoderm

o Skeletal muscle fibres are unable to divide (no mitosis),  can never reproduce but can
repair themselves.
 Adult number of multinucleated skeletal muscle cells is attained early — before birth.
 Once formed, a skeletal muscle fiber survives for the entire lifetime.
 The enormous postnatal increase in muscle mass is achieved by cell enlargement.
o Cardiac muscles can neither reproduce nor repair themselves.
o Neurons also can neither reproduce by mitosis nor repair themselves
 If brain damaged → uses secret supply of neural stem cells and transforms them into new
neurons without using mitosis.

Further Development
 The embryo undergoes folding in the median and horizontal planes due to rapid growth and it
transforms the embryo from a trilaminar disc into a cylindrical embryo.
 Folding in the median plane produces head and tail folds, which can be visualized in the sagittal section
(pic not here)
 Folding in the horizontal plane produces right and left lateral folds, which fuse at the median plane to
form a cylindrical embryo which can be visualized in cross section.

 This folding makes the following structures more apparent – Intraembryonic coelom Somatopleure /
Somatic mesoderm towards ectoderm.
 Splanchnopleure / Splanchnic mesoderm towards endoderm.

Serous membrane – two-layered membrane lubricated by a fluid derived from serum. The
peritoneum, pericardium, and pleura are serous membranes.
Visceral serous membrane – inner layer – covers internal organs
Parietal serous membrane – outer layer – lines the wall of body cavities

 Lateral mesoderm further divides into two

 Somatic layer / Somatopleure 
 upper layer – towards ectoderm
 Splanchnic layer / Splanchnopleure
 lower layer – towards endoderm.

 mnemonic – somato – potato – chilka utarna parta hia – ecto

 mnemonic – spleen inside body – endo

 Somato Layer / Somato - Pleuric

It gives rise to  mnemonic – S – PCB – S (PCB k ik taraf Shaheen Afridi – dusri taraf Shahid Afridi
hia)
 Parietal Layers – All the Parietal layers of the body cavities
 Pericardium
  Peritoneum
 Parietal pleura
 Cartilages of the Limbs
 Bones of the limbs
—
 Sternum (parts)

 Splanchnic Layer / Splanchno - Pleuric

Located near the endoderm  It gives rise to – mnemonic – Salo SAV BSC (save BSc)
 Spleen
 Adrenal cortex
 Visceral layers – all the visceral layers of the body
 Visceral pleura
 Visceral pericardium
 Visceral peritoneum
 Blood Cells made by red bone marrow
 Myeloid stem cells (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, RBCs, Platelets)
 Lymphoid stem cells
 Smooth muscle of the GIT (visceral layer)
 Cardiovascular system + all the vessels (arteries + veins + lymphatic + lymph nodes)

 Miscellaneous
 Allantois – out pocketing of yolk sac
 Important in birds and reptiles NOT in humans
 Time  Day 16
 Teratogenic effects occur during 2 to 8 weeks.
 Most sensitive 3rd week.
 Ductus arteriosus ???
 Myelination in fetus starts at 4 months
 Intra embryonic coelem derives from ?
