Neurodevelopment (anatomy) Flashcards
Why is it so important that the brain devleops properly?
The brian is made up of:
- Neurones = 10^11 (100bn)
- Glial cells = 10^12
- Synapses = 10^14
Thereofre it is very complex w lots of networks so is important it devleops right
What are the 2 divisions of development of the nervous system?
- Anatomical development
- Cellular development
What happens during anatomical devleopment of the NS?
- Formation of the neural tube
- Neural crest cells
What happens during cellular devlopment of the NS?
- Generation of new cells
- Migration of cells
- Making connections
- Death of cells
What happens when sperm fertilises the egg?
There is a massive cell division that occurs
What happens around 11-15 days in the embryo?
At this point it consists of the 3 important layers for development:
- Endoderm
- Mesoderm
- Ectoderm
These 3 layers go on to form all the different organs of the body
What does the endoderm go on to form?
Form the cells that line our internal organs
What does the mesoderm go on to form?
Muscle, bone & the immune system
What does the ectoderm go on to form?
The NS - also the epidermis
What are the 3 main stages in neurulation?
- Formation of the neural plate
- Formation of the neural folds & neural groove
- Closure of neural folds forming neural tube & migration of neural crest cells
What is neurulation?
The formation of the neural tube from the notochord
What is the entire process of forming the neural tube?
- During neurulation the notochord (part of mesoderm) starts to send out signals
- Signals form notochord stimulate the differentiation of the cells of the neuroectoderm into the NEURAL PLATE (an elongated sheet of cells)
- As development continues, the neural plats starts to fold in on itself - creates NEURAL GROOVE
- Neural folds are on the side of the groove, they fuse to the top to form the neural tube –> will go on to form the anatomicla part of the CNS
- Few cells at the tips of the neural folds called the neural crest cells don’t form into the tube & leave –> migrate to form the PNS
What do the cells on top of the neural tube form?
On top we get the remaining ectoderm which will formt the epidermis (skin)
How does the neural tube join up?
It doesn’t happen simultaneously all the way along
The join starts at the neck region & will progress rostrally (up to brain) and caudally (spinal cord) to close the structure
What do the anterior (rostral) and posterior (caudal) ends of the neural tube form?
Anterior = brain
Posterior = spinal cord
Fuses halfway between the brain and moves either way to properly join the neural tube
What happens to the anterior part of the neural tube before 4 weeks?
(The brain)
We get further differentiation from it being a tube structure
It differentiates into swelling (vesicles) & this is what forms the anatomical divisions of the brain & give it its structure
What happens to the posterior part of the neural tube at 4 & 6 weeks?
(Spinal cord)
Posterior pretty much remains the same
It is a tube structure which makes sense as it goes on to form the spinal cord which appears as a long tube
What happens to the anterior part of the neural tube between 4-6 weeks?
(Forming the brain)
Around 4 weeks = Differentiates into 3 parts; forebrain, midbrain & hindbrain
6 weeks = development cont. –> we get furhter differentiation of the fprebrain vesicles
What are the further vesicular divisions of the forebrain at 6 weeks?
- Telencephalic vesicles
- Diencephalon
- Optic vesicles
What do the telencephalic vesicles turn into?
Cerebral hemispheres
What does the diencephalon turn into?
Thalamus & hypothalamus
What do the optic vesicles turn into?
Optic nerve & retinal (eye)
Why are the optic nerves and olfactory bulb considered more CNS than PNS compared to other cranial nerves?
They sproud directly from the brain tissue, os they are jsut an extension of this –> making them more CNS
After 6 weeks how does the shape of the brain change?
As developemnt goes further, the cerebral hemispheres swell both POSTERIORLY (backwards) & LATERALLY (around the side of the brain)
This envelopes the diencephalon
We get a sprouting of olfactory bulbs from the ventral side as well
After the diencephalon forms the thalamus & hypothalamus what happens to it?
It ends up just touching the sub hemisphere of the brain once it’s fully developed
What happens to the neural crest cells that do not form the neural tube?
They migrate away to form:
- The PNS
- The enteric NS
- Cells of the skin (melanocytes)
- Parts of the skull
What are the 2 neural tube defect diseases?
- Spina bifidia
- Anecephaly
What is spina bifidia?
- Failure of neural tube in the spinal cord to fuse
- Most common in lower back = lumbosacral region
- Paralysis below this region