Folding of the Embryo

Formation of Gut
Endodermal Derivatives

By: Dr. Mujahid Khan

 Folding Of Embryo
 Flat trilaminar disc folds into a somewhat
cylindrical embryo
 Folding occurs in both median & horizontal
planes
 Results from rapid growth of the embryo
 Long axis increases rapidly than the sides
 Occurs simultaneously on both axis
 Constriction at the junction of embryo &
yolk sac
 Folding in Median Plane

 Occurs in the cranial and caudal ends

 Causing head and tail folds

 Moving ventrally as the embryo elongates

cranially and caudally
 Head Fold
 At the beginning of the 4th week

 Neural folds in the cranial region thickened to

form primordium of the brain

 Initially the developing brain projects dorsally

into the amniotic cavity

 Later grows cranially beyond the oropharyngeal

membrane

 Overhangs the developing heart

 Head Fold
 Septum transversum, primordial heart,
pericardial coelom & oropharyngeal membrane
move onto the ventral surface

 Endoderm of the yolk sac is incorporated into

the embryo as a foregut

 The foregut lies between the brain & heart

 Oropharyngeal membrane separates the foregut

from the stomodeum
 Head Fold
 Septum transversum lies caudal to heart
after the folding and develops into central
tendon of diaphragm

 Head fold also affects the arrangement of

the primordium of body cavity which
consists of a flattened horseshoe shaped
cavity before folding
 Tail Fold
 Results primarily from growth of the distal
part of the neural tube

 This is primordium of the spinal cord

 As embryo grows, the caudal eminence

projects over the cloacal membrane

 During folding, part of endoderm is

incorporated into the embryo as a hindgut
 Tail Fold
 Terminal part of the hindgut soon dilates to
form the cloaca

 Cloaca is the primordium of urinary

bladder and rectum

 Before folding primitive streak lies cranial

to the cloacal membrane

 After folding it lies caudal to it

 After Tail Fold

 The connecting stalk (primordium of

umbilical cord) is attached to the ventral
surface of the embryo

 Allantois (a diverticulum of yolk sac) is

partially incorporated into the embryo
 Folding in Horizontal Plane
 Folding on sides of the embryo produces
right and left lateral folds

 Is produced by rapidly growing spinal cord

and somites

 Ventrolateral rolling of the edges of

embryonic disc form roughly cylindrical
embryo
 Folding in Horizontal Plane

 As the abdominal walls form, part of

endoderm is incorporated into the embryo
as the midgut

 Initially there is a wide connection between

midgut & yolk sac

 After folding the connection is reduced to

yolk stalk
 Folding in Horizontal Plane
 Umbilical cord forms from the connecting stalk

 As it forms, ventral fusion of the lateral folds

reduces the region of communication between
intraembryonic and extraembryonic coelomic
cavities to a narrow communication

 Amniotic cavity expands and obliterates

extraembryonic coelom
 Derivatives of Endoderm
Endoderm gives rise to the epithelial lining
of:

 Trachea

 Bronchi

 lungs
 Derivatives of Endoderm
Endoderm gives rise to the epithelial lining of:

 Gastrointestinal tract

 Liver

 Pancreas

 Urinary bladder

 urachus
 Derivatives of Endoderm
Endoderm gives rise to the epithelial lining of:

 Pharynx

 Thyroid

 Tympanic cavity

 Pharyngotympanic tube

 Tonsils

 Parathyroid glands
 Formation of Gut

 Primordial gut at the beginning of the 4th

week is closed at its:

 Cranial end by oropharyngeal membrane

 Caudal end by the cloacal membrane

 Formation of Gut

 Primordial gut forms during the 4th week as

the head, tail and lateral fold incorporate
the dorsal part of the yolk sac into the
embryo

 The endoderm of the primordial gut gives

rise to most of the epithelium and glands
of the digestive tract
 Formation of Gut
 The epithelium at the cranial and caudal
ends of the tract is derived from ectoderm
of the stomodeum (mouth) proctodeum
(anal pit)

 The muscular, connective tissue, and

other layers of the wall of the digestive
tract are derived from the splanchnic
mesenchyme surrounding the primordial
gut
 Formation of Gut
For descriptive purposes the primordial gut
is divided into 3 parts:

 Foregut

 Midgut

 Hindgut