DEVELOPMENT OF THE

LYMPHOID ORGANS
Merve Açıkel Elmas, PhD
Assoc. Prof
Department of Histology and Embriyology
MAIN TOPICS

• development of lymph nodes

• development of thymus
• development of tonsil
• development of spleen
 The lymphatic system begins to develop at the
end of the 5th week

 Lymphatic vessels develop in a manner similar

to that blood vessels

 make connections with the venous system

• There are six primary lymph sacs

1) Two jugular lymph sacs near the junction of

the subclavian veins with the anterior cardinal
veins (the future internal jugular veins)
2) Two iliac lymph sacs near the junction of the
iliac veins with the posterior cardinal veins
3) One retroperitoneal lymph sac in the root of
the mesentery on the abdominal wall.
4) One cisterna chyli located dorsal to the
retroperitoneal lymph sac.

• The lymph sacs later become interconnected

by lymph nodes.
Development of the Lymph Nodes

The lymph sacs are transformed groups of

lymph nodes during the early fetal period.

Mesenchymal cells invade each lymph sac and

break up its cavity into a network of lymphatic
channels-the primordia of the lymph sinuses.

Other mesenchymal cells give rise to the capsule

and connective tissue framework of the lymph
nodes.
 Development of the Lymph Nodes

 The lymphocytes are derived originally from

stem cells in the umbilical vesicle (yolk sac)
mesenchyme and later on from the liver and
spleen.

 Early lymphocytes eventually enter the bone

marrow, from where they divide to form
lymphoblasts.
 Development of the Lymph Nodes
 The lymphocytes that appear in the lymph nodes
before birth are derived from the thymus

 Small lymphocytes leave the thymus to other

lymphoid organs through circulatation.

 Later, some mesenchymal cells in the lymph

nodes also differentiate into lymphocytes.

*The lymph nodules do not appear in the lymph

nodes until just before and/or just after birth, as
there is no exposure to foreign antigens.
 Anomalies of the Lymphatic System
Congenital anomalies of the lymphatic system are uncommon.

 There may be diffuse swelling of a part of the body-

congenital lymphedema. This condition may result from
dilation of primordial lymphatic channels or from congenital
hypoplasia of lymphatic vessels.

 More rarely, In cystic hygroma,

large swellings usually appear in the
inferolateral part of the neck,
and consist of large, single or multilocular,
fluid-filled cavities.
PHARYNGEAL APPARATUS • 4th week is important
for this developmental
• The key to understanding craniofacial pattern
development are the Pharyngeal Apparatus
(PA)

• Also known as Branchial Apparatus

• Pharyngeal Apparatus include:

- Pharyngeal arches
(mesoderm)
- Pharyngeal clefts
(ectoderm)
- Pharyngeal pouches
(endoderm)
- Pharyngeal membranes
 SECOND PHARYNGEAL POUCH

• It is obliterated by the formation of

PALATINE TONSIL

• THIRD PAHRYNGEAL POUCH

Dorsal epithelium INFERIOR.

PARATHYROID GLD
Ventral epithelium THYMUS

• Then these two structures migrate

caudally and separate from each other
11.06.2010 16
 Development of the Thymus
 The third pharyngeal pouch gives rise to the
thymus
 The thymus develops from epithelial cells that
are developed from the endoderm of the loose
mesenchyme
 Development of the Thymus
 The epithelial tubes solid cords that
proliferate side branches.
 Each side branch becomes

the core of a lobule of the thymus.

 Development of the Thymus

 Some cells of the epithelial cords form small

groups of cells called Hassal’s corpuscles.

 The mesenchyme between the epithelial cords

forms thin incomplete partitions (septa)

 Growth and development of the thymus are

not completed at birth.
 Congenital Malformations of Thymus
Di George Syndrome
 Infants with DiGeorge syndrome are born
without a thymus and parathyroid glands
 Occurs when the third and fourth pharyngeal
pouches do not differentiate into the thymus
and parathyroid glands
Accesory thymic tissue:
 Because of their extensive migrations during
early embryogenesis, parathyroid glands and
components of the thymus gland are often
found in abnormal sites
 Development of the Tonsils

Second pharyngeal pouch

endoderm

Palatine tonsil

The central part

(The central core of these buds breaks down) crypts

The pouch endoderm

surface epithelium
lining of the crypts
 Development of the Tonsils

At about 20th week, the mesenchyme

surrounding the crypts differantiates into

lymphoid tissue

lymphatic nodules of the palatine tonsils

 Development of the Tonsils

 The Tubal Tonsils develops from the aggregations of

lymph nodules around the pharyngeal openings of the
auditory tubes.

 The Pharyngeal Tonsils develops from an aggregation of

lymph nodules in the wall of the nasopharynx.

 The Lingual Tonsils develops from an aggregation of

lymph nodules in the root of the tongue.
 Development of the Spleen

 The spleen is derived from a mass of

mesenchymal cells located between the layers
of the dorsal mesogastrium

 It starts to develop during the 5th week

 It is lobulated in the fetus, but the lobules

normally disappear before birth
 Development of the Spleen
 As the stomach rotates, the left surface of the
mesogastrium fuses with the peritoneum over the left
kidney
• The mesenchymal cells lying between the two
layers of dorsal mesogastrium condense to
form a number of small mesenchymal masses
(called lobules of splenic tissue/spleniculi)
that later fuse to form a single mesenchymal
mass (splenic mass), which projects from
under cover of left layer of the mesogastrium.

*The presence of splenic notches on the

anterior (superior) border of adult spleen
indicates lobulated origin of the spleen
• All elements of the spleen are derived from
mesoderm. The mesodermal cells form capsule,
septa, and connective tissue network including
reticular fibers.

• The primordium of splenic tissue forms

branching cords and isolated free cells.
• Some of the free cells form lymphoblasts while
the others differentiate into hemopoietic cells.
The mesenchymal cells in the splenic primordium differentiate
to form

the capsule, connective tissue framework, parenchyma of the

spleen

 The spleen functions as a hematopoietic

center until late fetal life,

 but it retains its potentiality for blood cell

formation in adult life.
 Accessory Spleen (Polysplenia)

 One or more small splenic masses (about 1 cm

in diameter) of fully functional splenic tissue may
exist;
• in one of the peritoneal folds,
• near the hilum of the spleen
• the tail of the pancreas.
• Q: Give the embryological basis of presence of
notches on the superior/anterior border of
the spleen.
A:The spleen develops by condensation of
mesenchymal cells between two layers of dorsal
mesogastrium. At first small lobules of splenic tissue
are formed by condensation of mesenchymal cells
lying between the two layers of the dorsal
mesogastrium. Later the lobules of splenic tissue
fuse together to form the spleen.
The notches on superior (anterior) border of adult
spleen are a reflection of lobular origin of the
spleen
• References

• Moore, K. L., et al. (2011). The Developing

Human : with STUDENT CONSULT Online Access.
London, Elsevier Health Sciences.
• Moore, (2016). Before We Are Born: Essentials
Of Embryology And Birth Defects. Elsevier.
• Schoenwolf, G. C. (2009). Larsen's human
embryology. Philadelphia: Elsevier