Development of Body Cavities,

Diaphragm & Mesentery

Year 1 semester 2 Anatomy
KABSOM 2022
By
Echoru Isaac

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Objectives
• By the end of this topic, you should be able to;
1. Describe development of the intraembryonic coelom
2. Describes derivatives of intraembryonic coelom
3. Describe the development of the diaphragm
4. Explain congenital anomalies of the diaphragm
5. Describe development of mesentery and their derivatives

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Formation of Intraembryonic Coelom
• Three body cavities: pericardial, pleural, and peritoneal.
• The pericardial cavity is related to heart, the pleural cavity to lungs,
and the peritoneal cavity to abdominal viscera.
• All these cavities develop from intraembryonic coelom

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 Formation of Intraembryonic Celom

A. Transverse section through an embryo of approximately 19 days. Intercellular clefts are visible in the lateral plate
mesoderm.
B. Section through an embryo of approximately 20 days. The lateral plate is divided into somatic and splanchnic
mesoderm layers that line the intraembryonic coelom. Tissue bordering the intraembryonic coelom differentiates into
serous membranes.
 Formation of Intraembryonic Celom

Transverse sections through embryos at various stages of development.

A. The intraembryonic cavity is in open communication with the extraembryonic cavity.
B. The intraembryonic cavity is about to lose contact with the extraembryonic cavity.
C. At the end of the fourth week, splanchnic mesoderm layers are continuous with somatic layers as a double-layered
membrane, the dorsal mesentery. Dorsal mesentery extends from the caudal limit of the foregut to the end of the
hindgut
Partitioning of the Intraembryonic Celom
• To form the definitive pericardial, pleural, and peritoneal cavities from
a single intraembryonic celom, three partitions develop.
• These are:
1. Paired pleuropericardial membranes
2. Diaphragm.

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 Pleuropericardial membranes

Transformation of the pericardioperitoneal canals into the pleural cavities and formation of the pleuropericardial
membranes. Note the pleuropericardial folds containing the common cardinal vein and phrenic nerve. Mesenchyme of the
body wall splits into the pleuropericardial membranes and definitive body wall.B. The thorax after fusion of the
pleuropericardial folds with each other and with the root of the lungs. Note the position of the phrenic nerve, now in the
fibrous pericardium. The right common cardinal vein has developed into the superior vena cava 7
Development of diaphragm
• The diaphragm divides the body cavity into the thoracic and
peritoneal cavities.
• It develops from four components:
• (a)septum transversum(central tendon);
• (b)pleuroperitoneal membranes;
• (c)dorsal mesentery of the esophagus; and
• (d)muscular components of the body wall

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 Development of diaphragm

Development of the diaphragm. A. Pleuroperitoneal folds appear at the beginning of the fifth week.B. Pleuroperitoneal
folds fuse with the septum transversum and mesentery of the esophagus in the seventh week, separating the thoracic
cavity from the abdominal cavity.C. Transverse section at the fourth month of development.
An additional rim derived from the body wall forms the most peripheral part of the diaphragm. 9
Anomalies of diaphragm
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

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Anomalies of diaphragm
Eventration of diaphragm

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Anomalies of diaphragm
• Esophageal hernia: if esophagus is shorter than normal, part of
stomach may appear in the thorax and be constricted as it passes
through the enlarged esophageal hernia
• Congenital hiatal hernia: rare; abdominal viscera herniate through a
large esophageal hiatus or opening. Usually an acquired lesion seen in
adult life
• Retrosternal or parasternal hernia (of morgagni): a rare defect between
sternum and sternocostal parts of diaphragm. A small peritoneal sac
with intestinal loops often seen in chest

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SEROUS MEMBRANES (MESENTERY)
Serous Membranes
• Cells of the somatic mesoderm lining the intraembryonic cavity become
mesothelial and form the parietal layer of the serous membranes lining the
outside of the peritoneal, pleural, and pericardial cavities.
• In a similar manner, cells of the splanchnic mesoderm layer form the visceral layer
of the serous membranes covering the abdominal organs, lungs, and heart.
• Visceral and parietal layers are continuous with each other as the dorsal
mesentery, which suspends the gut tube in the peritoneal cavity.
• Initially this dorsal mesentery is a thick band of mesoderm running continuously
from the caudal limit of the foregut to the end of the hindgut.
• Ventral mesentery exists only from the caudal foregut to the upper portion of the
duodenum and results from thinning of mesoderm of the septum transversum
• These mesenteries are double layers of peritoneum that provide a pathway for
blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics to the organs.

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Fate of mesentery
• The fate of ventral mesogastrium:
• The ventral part forms the falciform and coronary ligaments between
the body wall and the liver; and dorsal part forms the lesser
omentum between the liver and the curvature of the stomach
• The fate of dorsal mesentery is as follows
• 1. It forms the mesentery of jejunum and ileum.
• 2. It forms the mesentery of appendix—mesoappendix.
• 3. It forms the mesentery of transverse colon—transverse
mesocolon.
• 4. It forms the mesentery of sigmoid colon—sigmoid mesocolon
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Further reading
• Langmans medical embryology
• Human embryology by Inderbir Singh
• Clinical embryology, Vishram Singh

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