EMBRYOLOGY OF

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
AHMAD AMINUDDIN

DIVISION OG THE GUT TUBE

ENDODERM-LINED YOLK SAC CAVITY

FORMS THE PRIMITIVE GUT.
- YOLK SAC.
- ALLANTOIS.
PRIMITIVE GUT FORM
- FORE GUT.
- HIND GUT.
- MID GUT
- VITELLINE DUCT.
- YOLK SAC

MESENTERIES

Initially the fore gut , mid gut and hind gut are
in broad contact with the mesenchyme of the
posterior abdominal wall.
By the fifth week, the connecting tissue bridge
has narrowed, the caudal part of the fore gut ,
the mid gut and major part of the hind gut are
suspended from the abdominal wall by the
dorsal mesentery.

DORSAL MESENTERY

DORSAL MESOGASTRIUM OR
GREATER OMENTUM.
DORSAL MESODUODENUM.
DORSAL MESOCOLON.
MESENTERY PROPER.

VENTRAL MESENTERY

From the terminal part of the esophagus,

stomach and the upper part of the duodenum is
derived from the SEPTUM TRANSVERSUM.
Growth of the liver divides the ventral
mesentery into ;
- the lesser omentum.
- the falciform ligament.

FOREGUT

ESOPHAGUS
- When the embryo is approximately 4 weeks
old the respiratory diveticulum ( lung bud )
appear at the ventral wallof the foregut.
- The tracheobronchial septum gradually partitions this diverticulum from the ventral part
of the foregut ;
- the respiratory primordium ---- ventral.
- the esophagus
---- dorsal.

STOMACH

DUODENUM

The terminal part of the foregut and the

cephalic end of the midgut.
As the stomach rotates, duodenum takes on the
form of a C-shaped loop and rotates to the
right.
This rotation togather with rapid growth of the
head of the pancreas , swing the duodenum to
the left side of the abdominal cavity.

DUODENUM

The duodenum and head of the pancreas press

against the dorsal body wall, the right surface
of the dorsal mesoduodenum fuses with the
adiacent peritonium.
A small proximal portion of the duodenum
retains its mesentery and remains
intraperitoneal.

LIVER AND GALLBLADDER

The hepatic diverticulum or liver bud appears

in the middle of the third week as an outgroeth
of the endodermal epithelium at the distal end
of the foregut. This outgrowth penetrate the
septum transversum.
The connection between the hepatic
diverticulum and the foregut, narrows forming
the bile duct.

LIVER AND GALL BLADDER

A small ventral outgrowth of the bile duct give

rise to the gallblader and the cystic duct.
Hematopoietic cells , Kupffer cells and
connective tissue cells derived from mesoderm
of the septum transversum.
Mesoderm of the septum transversum between
- the liver and foregut ----- lesser omentum.
- the liver and ventral abdominal wall, ---------- falciform ligament

LIVER AND GALLBLADDER

Peritoneal connection between the foregut and

ventral abdominal wall --- ventral mesentery.
The bare area of the liver , remain incontact
with the rest of the original septum
transversum, this portion of septum will forms
the central tendon of the diaphragm.

PANCREAS

Endodermal lining of duodenum.

- dorsal pancreatic bud.
- ventral pancreatic bud.
When the duodenum rotates tothe right the
ventral pancreatic bud comes to lie below and
behind the dorsal bud.
Later the parenchyma and the duct system of
the dorsal and ventral pancreatic bud fuse.

PANCREAS

The ventral bud forms the uncunate process

and inferior part of the head.
The remaining part of the gland is derived
from the dorsal bud.
The main pancreatic duct ( of Wirsung ) is
formed by the distal part of the dorsal
pancreatic duct and the entire ventral
pancreatic duct.

PANCREAS

The proximal part of the dorsal pancreatic duct

eithe is obliterated or persist as a small channel
, the accessory pancreatic duct ( of Santorini )
The main pancreatic duct , together with the
bile duct, enter the duodenum at the major
papilla.
The entrance of the accessory duct ( when
present ) is at the minor papilla.

PANCREAS

In the third month, pancreatic islets ( of

Lngerhans ) develop from the parenchymatous
pancreatic tissue.
Insulin secretion begin at approximately the
fifth month.
Glucagon and somatostatin , secreting cells
also develop from parenchymal cells.
Splanchnic mesoderm surrounding the
pancreatic bud forms the pancreatic connective
tissue.

MIDGUT

In the fifth week embryo the midgut is

suspended from dorsal abdoinal wall by a
short mesentary, and communicates with yolk
sac by way of the vitelline duct or yolk stalk.
In the adult the midgut begin immediatelly
distal to the entrance of bile ductin to the
duodenum and and terminate at the junction of
the proximal two-third of the transverse colon
with the distal third.
The migut is supplied by the superior
mesenteric artery.

Fig 14.24

14.25

MIDGUT

Development of the midgut is chracterized by rapid

elongation and of the gut and its mesentery ; resulting
in formation of the primary intestinal loop.
The loop remain open connection with the yolk sac
by way of the vitelline duct.
The cephalic limb develop into ; the distal part of the
duodenum, the jejunum, and part of the ileum.
The caudal limb becomes the lower portion of the
ileum the cecum, appendix, ascending colon, and the
proximal two-third of the transverse colon.

PHYSIOLOGICAL HERNIATION

Rapid elongation of the loop, rapid growth and

expansion of the liver.
The intestinal loop enter the extraembryonic
cavity in the umbilical cord during the sixth
week of the development.

Fig 14.26

ROTATION OF THE MIDGUT

Around an axis formed by the superior

mesentetic artery.
During herniation about 90
During return into the abdominal cavity 180.
During rotation , elongation of the small
intestinal loop continues.

RETRACTION OF THE HERNIAL

LOOPS

During the 10th week,it is thought due to ;

- regression of the mesonephric kidney.
- reduced growth of the liver.
- expansion of the abdominal cavity.
The first part reenter the abdominal cavity is the
proximal part of the jejunum, comesto lie on the
left side.
The last part of the gut reenter the abdominal
cavity is the cecum, it appear at the sixth week.
During this process cecal bud forms appendix.

Fig 14.27

Fig 14.28

Fig 14.29

MESENTERY OF THE
INTESTINAL LOOPS

When the caudal limb of the loop moves to the

right side , the dorsal mesentery twists around
the origin of the suprior mesenteric artery.
When the ascending and descending colon
obtain their definitive position, their
mesenteric press against the peritonium of the
posterior abdominal wall.
The transverse mesocolon fuses with the
posterior wall of the greater omentum.

Fig 14.30

ABNORMALITIES OF THE
MESENTERIES

Persistence of the mesocolon ascenden

- mobile cecum.
- volvulus.
Incomplete fusion of the mesentery
- retrocolic pocket behind the ascending
colon --retrocolic hernia.

BODY WALL DEFECT

OMPHALOCELE
- Herniation of abdominal viscera through an
enlarged umbilical ring.
- Viscera ; liver, small and large intestine
dtomach. Gallbladder and spleen
are covered by amnion.
- The origin defect is failure of the bowel to
return to body cavity from its physiological
herniation

BODY WALL DEFECTS

GASTROSCHISIS
= A protrusion of the abdominal contents
through the body wall directly into the
amniotic cavity.
- The defect is most likely due to abnormal
closure of the body wall around the
connectin
stalk.
- Viscera are not covered by peritonium or
amnion.

VITELLINE DUCT

GUT ROTATION DEFECT

GUT ATRESIA AND STENOSIS

HINDGUT

Hind gut ; distal third of the transverse colon,

descending colon,sigmoid colon, rectum and
upper part of the anal canal.
The terminal portion of the hindgut enter
theposterior regioof the cloaca --- primitive
anorectal.
The allantois enter the anterior portion of the
cloaca ---- primitive urogenital sinus.

HINDGUT

The cloaca is an endodermal-lined

cavitycovered at its ventral boundary by
surface ectoderm.
This boundary between the endoderm and the
ectoderm forms the cloacal membrane.
The urorectal septum separates the region
betwen the allantois and hindgut.
As the embryo grows, the tip of the urorectal
septum comes to lie close to the cloacal
membrane.

HINDGUT

At the end of the seventh week , the cloacal

membrane ruptures
- opening of the hindgut.
- opening of the urogenital sinus.
The tip of the urorectal septum form the
perineal body.
Proliferation of the ectoderm closes the
caudalmost region of the analcanal.

HINDGUT

During the ninth week this regio recanalizes.

The caudal part of the anal canal originates in
the ectoderm, and supplied by the inferior
rectal arteries.
The cranial part of the anal canal originates in
the endoderm, and is supplied by the superior
rectal artery.
The junction between the endodermal and
ectodermal of the anal canal is the pectinate
line.