13 - GI Embryology Flashcards
Primitive Gut
Forms during 4th week of development
Extends from Buccopharyngeal Membrane (rostral) to Cloacal Membrane (caudal)
Why does the gut fold?
Dorsal surface grows faster than the ventral surface.
This causes the Buccopharyngeal Membrane and Cloacal Membrane to move towards each other.
Cardiogenic Mesenchyme and Septum Transversum
Originally rostral
Folding brings it caudally, ending up caudal to the buccopharyngeal membrane
At this point, the primitive gut is sort of recognizable.
After folding,
A portion of the yolk sac is incorporated into the embryo as bowel, but the midgut remains open
Cephalocaudal and Lateral folding
Occur simultaneously.
Meeting and fusion of cranial, lateral and caudal edges of the embryo create the primordial foregut and hindgut.
Midgut remains open until
Week 6.
It connects to the yolk sac via vitelline duct.
Buccopharyngeal membrane opens at
4 weeks
Cloacal membrane opens at
7 weeks
What delimits the bowel?
Flexion of the embryo
After the gut forms - Attached to the body wall how?
Via dorsal and ventral mesentaries. Ventral mesentary is lost except in the region of the liver.
Vitelline duct remains in the umbilical cord.
Septum Transversum
Partially separates thoracic and abdominal cavities
Septum Transversum - Superior Portion
Primitive pericardial cavity
Septum Transversum - Inferior Portion
Future peritoneal cavity
Communication between pericardial and peritoneal cavities
Pericardioperitoneal canals
Pericardioperitoneal canals are closed by
Formation of the pleuroperitoneal membranes
Pleuroperitoneal membranes
Close pericardioperitoneal canals
Contribute muscle to the definitive diaphragm
Definitive Diaphragm
Composite Structure: Septum Transversum Pleuroperitoneal Membranes Paraxial Mesoderm Esophageal Mesenchyme
Dorsal mesentary
Thins to allow the cut to be flexibly suspended
Endoderm
Lining of the gut
Specified (via a series of regionally specific transcription factors) before gut tube is complete
Boundaries between regions
Plastic
Depend on interactions between endoderm & mesoderm
Language: Paracrine secretion of growth factors
Boundaries of GI Regions
Begin with Sonic HedgeHog expression in posterior endoderm, which spreads to the whole gut.
Induces a series of Hox genes in the mesoderm
Mesoderm then influences epithelial differentiation.
Wnt Signaling - Intestinal Epithelium
WNT = Intestine
No WNT = Stomach