Embryology Flashcards
Which germ layers are the…
-Kidney
-Bladder
… derived from?
- Kidney: intermediate mesoderm
- Bladder: mainly the endoderm (except the trigone which originates from the mesoderm)
What are the 3 nephric stages of kidney development?
Pronephros (the earliest nephric stage)
Mesonephros (is temporarily the main outflow tract for the embryo)
Metanephros (will become the permanent kidneys)
Which of the 3 nephric stages are functional?
Mesonephros and metanephros
What part of the intermediate mesoderm is the... -Pronephric system -Mesonephric system -Metanephric system ... derived from?
- Pronephric system: segmented intermediate mesoderm
- Mesonephric system: unsegmented intermediate mesoderm
- Metanephric system: unsegmented intermediate mesoderm
Describe the pronephric stage of kidney development
- Mesonephric tubules start to form craniocaudally along the length of the intermediate mesoderm at ~4 weeks
- The most cranial pairs regress by the end of week 5
Describe the mesonephric stage of kidney development
- ~week 5, 20 pairs of mesonephric tubules remain at L1-L3 level in the intermediate mesoderm
- These function as a temporary outflow tract for the embryo between weeks 6-10
- They will then regress
Describe the metanephric stage of kidney development
- Although present at ~week 5, the permanent kidney begins to function at ~weeks 9-11 when the mesonephric tubules are regressing
- It is formed from the ureteric bud and metanephric blastema which are found at the most caudal end of the intermediate mesoderm
- It begins to function ~weeks 9-11
What are the ureteric buds and the metanephric blastema?
Ureteric buds: outgrowths of the distal mesonephric ducts (sprout at ~day 28)
Metanephric blastema: a mass of intermediate mesoderm in the sacral region (penetrated by the ureteric buds at ~day 32)
Suggest two reasons why kidney agenesis (failure of the kidneys to develop) may occur
- The ureteric bud fails to grow from the mesonephric duct
- The ureteric bud is not long enough to reach the metanephric blastema
The ureteric bud will form the collecting/filtration system of the kidney
Collecting system
What structures are found in the collecting system of the kidney (and so are derived from the ureteric bud)?
Ureter Renal pelvis Major calyces Minor calyces Collecting ducts
How does the ureteric bud form the collecting system?
- The metanephric blastema gives off signals that cause the ureteric bud to bifurcate
- Four generations of bifurcations occur
- The branches then intussuscept to form the renal pelvis
- Another four generations of branching occurs, then the branches intussuscept to form the major calyces
- This repeats until the final wave of branching forms the collecting ducts
The metanephric blastema will form the collecting/filtration system of the kidney
Filtration system
What important structure will the metanephric blastema become?
The nephron
The metanephric blastema receives much of its development signals from…?
The ureteric bud