Systems development II: Cleft palate

Question 1

What are cleft lip and cleft palate?

Answer 1

Cleft lip (cheiloschisis) and cleft palate (palatoschisis) are variations of a type of clefting congenital deformity caused by abnormal during gestation

Question 2

Where are most of the defects in cleft disorders?

Answer 2

Mouth and nasal area

Question 3

Where do the nose and eyes start in development and when?

Answer 3

At 5 weeks, the nose and eyes start as 2 separate structures on the side of the face

Question 4

What happens from 5 weeks to 10 weeks in terms of face development?

Answer 4

Both sides of our face move to the centre

Question 5

What changes at 8 weeks in terms of face development?

Answer 5

Until 8 weeks, the nose and eyes are on the same level in the face but by 10w there is a vertical displacement (not clear if eyes move up or nose moves down

Question 6

Give details of what happens at the start of facial development

Answer 6

There is a middle structure which separates the 2 nasal precursors and this structure disappears but apoptosis and everything else that was in the same plane of the faces moves together and fuses at the centre

Question 7

How does the middle structure disappear?

Answer 7

Via a repetitive process:
A cleft forms in the pink tissue (not necessarily the whole way through but fairly deep), the whole structure of the face moves centrally (pulls nose and eyes with it) to fill that cleft. The cleft forms again and the tissue move closer

Question 8

What happens in cleft palate in terms of facial development?

Answer 8

The groove that forms is persistent and doesn’t fill up with cells:
The movement process isn’t functioning effectively, leaving a gap
There’s a fault in the filing in process and overall movement of face is hampered

Question 9

How do you know that the clefting is a late malformation?

Answer 9

It usually only occurs at the philtrum of the lip- rest of nasal area is normal

Question 10

How effective is surgery at dealing with clefting disorders?

Answer 10

Usually impressive as cells of newborn are plastic- they can still proliferate, differentiate and heal without scarring. The cells can adapt to structural and functional changes more quickly and normalise. Same process in adults would definitely lead to scarring and longer healing process

Question 11

What sort of faces do people naturally find more attractive?

Answer 11

Symmetrical faces- associated with genetics