HUMAN EMBRYOLOGY

Dr. Qaiser Inayat Associate Professor Department of Anatomy Khyber Medical College Peshawar

THE HEAD AND NECK

PHARYNGEAL APPARATUS

OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit the student should be able to: 1. Discuss the structure of the pharyngeal apparatus in general. 2. List the adult derivatives of the pharyngeal arches, pouches, grooves and membranes. 3. Discuss the prominences and processes that are involved in the formation of facial features. 4. Understand the formation of the nasal cavities, palate and tongue. 5. Discuss the formation of the thyroid and pituitary glands. 6. Discuss the developmental anomalies. RESOURCES: 1. Moore, K.L., and Persaud, T.V.N. The Developing Human. 2. Langmans medical embryology.

THE PHARYNGEAL APPARATUS

It begins to develop early in the 4th week and by the end of the embryonic period, structures forming it have either disappeared or rearranged. It leads to the formation of the head and neck in the human embryo. Previously called branchial apparatus because of the resemblance of the head and neck of a 4 week old human embryo with that of the fish embryo of the comparable stage of development. Branchia is a Greek word meaning gills. In fish and larval amphibians the branchial apparatus forms a system of gills for exchange of gases. In human embryo no gills are formed hence the term pharyngeal apparatus has replaced the term branchial apparatus.

After formation of the head fold the stomodeum or primitive mouth is bounded cranially by the projecting forebrain and caudally by the cardiac prominence. There is no mandibular region and neck.

 The appearance and modification of the pharyngeal apparatus in the lateral aspects of the head adjacent to the developing hind brain will lead to the formation of the face, upper jaw, mandible and the neck. Branchial anomalies result from the persistence of parts of the pharyngeal apparatus that normally disappear.

COMPONENTS OF THE BRANCHIAL APPARATUS

Pharyngeal arches: 6 paired mesenchymal bars Pharyngeal grooves: 5 ectodermal invaginations on the external surface of pharyngeal apparatus. Pharyngeal pouches: 5 pairs of outpocketings from pharyngeal endoderm Pharyngeal membranes: appositional grooves and pouches

Pharyngeal Arches

The pharyngeal arches begin to develop early in the fourth week as neural crest cells begin to migrate into the future head and neck. Ist arch on day 23, second arch on day 24, 3rd arch day 26, and 4th arch on day 28. By the end of the fourth week four pairs of pharyngeal arches are visible externally. The fifth arch is rudimentary and disappears and the sixth one is not visible externally. 1st pair of branchial arches face 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th pairsneck

Each pharyngeal arch appears as a Mesenchymal thickening which Grows ventromedially In the floor of the primitive pharynx to meet its fellow in the Midline intervening Between the stomodeum and the developing heart.

Each pharyngeal arch consists of a central core of mesenchyme covered by ectoderm externally and endoderm internally. The only exception is the first arch which has ectoderm on its both surfaces.

Components of pharyngeal arches

1.Aortic arch. It is an arterial arch arising from the truncus arteriosus of the heart and after passing through its respective arch enters the dorsal aorta. In the fish and aphibian larvae it forms capillaries for exchange of gases in the gills. In the human embryo it supplies the sutructures in the pharyngeal arches. 2. Cartilage. Forms the skeletal structures. 3. Nerve. Each arch has its own nerve that supplies the mucosa and muscles arising from it. 4. Muscle. Forms the muscles of the head and neck

Mesenchyme
Neural crest cells. Form the skeletal structures, ligaments, sensory ganglia. Mesenchyme from the somitomeres: forms the musculature. Angiogenic mesenchyme: forms the blood vessels. In situ or as proliferation of pre-existing vessels.

Epithelium
Epithelium on the outer aspect of the arches under the inductive influence of the underlying mesoderm forms region specific structures, like keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, hair, sweat glands, teeth etc. Epithelium on the inner aspect of the arches except for the first arch is derived from the endoderm. It forms epithelial lining of part of the mouth, palate, pharynx, thyroid, thymus, parathyroid, lymphoid tissue of oro and naso pharynx.

Skeletal elements
The neural crest mesenchyme gives rise to the skeletal elements, cartilage, bone, ligaments, connective tissue in the arches, and dermis.

CARTILAGES

Muscles
Striated muscle also called branchial musculature develops from the somitomeres of the paraxial mesoderm.

Arteries
Develop from angioblastic mesenchyme in situ or by vasculogenesis from the preexisting vessels. Paired aortic arch arteries arise from the truncus arteriosus and pass laterally through the pharyngeal wall to join the dorsal aortae.

Aortic Arches arise from the truncus arteriosus and drain into the dorsal aorta

Ectoderm

Nerves
Arise from the adjacent hind brain and pass directly into the arches. Motor nerves grows out from the basal plate of the midbrain and hind brain to innervate the striated muscle. Sensory nerves extend from the cranial nerve ganglia (neural crest cells).

Cranial nerves grow from the adjacent hind brain to supply the arches The ganglia of the sensory nerves develop from the neural crest cells

First pharyngeal arch

It begins to develop on day 22 and progresses ventromedially to fuse with its fellow in the midline. It is somewhat C shaped having a dorsal and a ventral process. The dorsal process is called the maxillary process. It grows over the stomodeum to fuse with the fronto-nasal process. The ventral process is called the mandibular process. It grows anteromedially below the stomodeum to fuse with its fellow in the midline to form the mandible.

Frontal Prominence Maxillary Mandibular

Derivatives of the first arch

1. Bones : Maxillary process: maxilla, zygomatic bone, squamous part of the temporal bone. Mandibular process: malleus, incus, mandible 2. Muslces : Muscles of mastication, mylohyoidand anterior belly of digastric, tensor tympani, tensor veli palatini. 3. Nerve: Trigeminal nerve. 4. Ligaments: anterior ligament of malleus, sphenomandibular ligament. 5. Aortic arch: to be discussed with cvs.

Arch
First

Nerve

Muscles

Skeletal structures

ligaments
Anterior ligament of malleus Sphenomandibular ligament

Trigeminal Muscles of mastication (mandibular) (CN V)

Mylohyoid and anterior belly of digastric Tensor tympani Tensor veli palatini

Malleus Incus

Second (hyoid)

Facial (CN VII)

Muscles of facial expression Stapedius Stylohyoid Posterior belly of digastric

Stapes Styloid process Lesser cornu of hyoid Upper part of body of hyoid bone

Stylohyoid ligament

Arch
Third

Nerve
Glossopharyngeal

Muscles
Stylopharyngeus

Skeletal Structures
Greater cornu of hyoid Lower part of body of hyoid bone
Thyroid cartilage Cricoid cartilage Arytenoid cartilage Corniculate cartilage Cuneiform cartilage

(CN IX)

Superior laryngeal Fourth and Sixth branch of vagus

Cricothyroid Levator veli (CN X) palatini Recurrent Constrictors of laryngeal branch of pharynx vagus Intrinsic muscles (CN X) of larynx Striated muscles of esophagus