EMBRYOLOG

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHICK EMBRYO

24-HR CHICK EMBRYO

-appears translucent under the

microscope (owed to the thinness of
the blastoderm)

WHOLE MOUNT
Area opaca
-peripheral region of chick blastodisc
-surounds the area pellucida
-in direct contact with the yolk(renders
the area opaque)
-differentiated into 3 zones:
>Peripheral zone
--margin of growth
--cells have proliferated over the
yolk
(w/o becoming adherent)
>Zone junction
--intermediate region
--cells cut free from yolk and
added to
area pellucida
>Inner zone
--germ wall
--cells originate from zone
junction
(contains yolk granules)
--marks transition from area
opaca to
the area pellucida
-area develops into 2 regions:
Area opaca vasculosa
-Inner region of area opaca
-Thickenings of the splanchnic
mesoderm from blood islands
Area opaca vitellina
-outer region of the area opaca
-initially lacks blood
islands/blood
vessels
Area pellucida
-central region of the blastodisc
-where primitive streak forms
-lies directly over the subgerminal
cavity

-2 layers of blastoderm:
>epiblast (outer layer)
--will differentiate into ectoderm
and mesoderm
>hypoblast (inner layer)
Primitive streak
-longitudinal cleft formed on surface of
amniote blastodisc (convergence of
cells)
-gastrulation begins as epiblast cells
migrate towards and into the streak
Primitive groove
-central furrow of the thickening
Primitive ridges
-margins of the primitive streak
-flanking primitive groove on
either
Sides
Primitive pit
-indented region of blastoderm
-anterior end of the primitive
streak
Hensens node (Primitive knot)
-thickened area at anterior end
of the
Streak
-through which cells invaginate
to form
Notochord
-Homologous to dorsal lip of the
blastopore (in amphibian
embryos)
Proamnion
-anterior to developing avian embryo
-surrounding the head
-endoderm and ectoderm
-fate: will be invaded with mesoderm
& become incorporated into amnion
Neural folds

-margins of the neural plate (about to

fuse at the middorsal region)
Neural groove
-median longitudinal groove
-formed by rolling up of the neural
plate
Head fold
-folded region of the blastoderm
-dark crescentic line
-boundary of the heads of the embryo
Notochord
-longitudinal band of cells extending
caudal
-from regions of neural folds to
hensens node
Foregut
-1st part of digestive tract
-definite floor composed of
endodermal cells
-Dome-shaped structure inside head
Anterior intestinal portal
-opening of foregut
-appears like a prominent arched line
beneath the neural folds
-continuous with lateral walls of the
foregut
-as development progresses, it moves
posteriorly & becomes part of the yolk
stalk
Mesenchyme of the head
-lose network of cells
-occupying space betweek foregut and
extoderm (head)
Mesoderm
Anterior border of the
mesoderm
-faint line
-extends across area pellucida
at the
level of anterior end of
notochord
The thickened splanchnic
mesoderm
-darker line

-lateral border of the anterior

intestinal portal
-formed by delamination of
lateral
Plate mesoderm
-will form: heart, part of
circulatory
System, and many other
structure
Somite
-division of dorsal mesoderm
-3 or 4 pairs lie immediately lateral to
the neural folds
Unsegmented mesoderm
-undivided region of mesoderm
-posterior to somites
TRANSVERSE SECTION
SECTION THROUGH THE PHARYNGEAL
MEMBRANE
Head ectoderm
-layers of cuboidal cells enclosing the
head
-cells are cuboidal in origin
Neural folds
-margins of neural epithelium
Anterior neuropore
-temporary external opening of
neurocoel
Neural groove
-median longitudinal groove
-formed by the rolling up of neural
plate
Prechordal plate
-mass of chordamesodermal cells
-anterior to notochord
-will form head mesenchyme
Notochord
-small medial mass of cells
-between foregut and neural plate
Foregut
-dorsoventral flattened tube
-walls are made up of endodermal
cells

-located beneath neural plate

Oral plate (Oropharyngeal membrane)
-region where floor of foregut is in
contact with neural ectoderm of head
-will break open to form the mouth (in
lateral development)
Mesenchyme
-loosely scattered cells
-fills up space between foregut and
neural plate
Proamnion
-region of blastoderm beneath
embryos head
-composed of ectoderm and endoderm
layer
Subcephalic pocket
-cavity formed beneath the embryonic
head (as head folds develops)
Somatopleure
-membrane composed of ectoderm
and somatic mesoderm
-forms part of body wall & chorion and
amnion

Splanchnopleure
-cellular layer
-consists of splanchnic mesoderm and
endoderm
-will form body wall & yolk sac and
allantois
Coelom
-cavity formed after separation of
somatic mesoderm and mesoderm
Subgerminal cavity
-space beneath hypoblast within area
pellucida
-give rise to midgut
SECTION THROUGH THE ANTERIOR
INTESTINAL PORTAL
Note:
*neural folds have come together to
form the neural tube

*at the level of the open foregut

*endoderm of the foregut is
continuous with the rest of the
endoderm
*anterior intestinal portal- opening of
the foregut
*region of thickened, splanchnic
mesoderm is prospective cardiac
mesoderm
Neural tube
-formed by thickening and rolling up of
neural plate (during embryonic
neurulation)
-will form the brain and spinal cord
Neural crest
-found at the edges of the neural plate
above the neural tube
-migrate throughout the embryo to
form ganglia, pigment cells, part of
gills arches, etc.
Head fold
-marked by downward bend of
membranes around the head region
Anterior intestinal portal
-opening of the foregut
-as development progresses and gut
elongates, it moves posteriorly and
becomes part of yolk stalk

Amnio-Cardiac vesicle
-region of coelom
-will give rise to amnion and heart
-thickened splanchnic mesoderm,
making up proximal wall of semicardiac vesicle, is the forerunner of
the heart
-somatopleure, making up the dorsal
wall of this vesicle, is involved in the
formation of the amnion
SECTION THROUGH THE MIDGUT
Note:

*midgut- middle part of the gut that

has the yolk for the floor of its cavity
Midgut
-floorless region of the gut
-posterior to the anterior intestinal
portal
SECTION THROUGH THE SOMITE
Note:
*neural folds have no yet closed
together
*somites develop from dorsal
mesoderm & are located on each side
of the neural folds and notochord
*later and adjacent to somites is the
intermediate mesoderm (small region
of mesoderm)
*Intermediate mesoderm will develop
into kidneys
*lateral plate mesoderm, lateral to
intermediate mesoderm, will
delaminate to form somatic and
splanchnic mesodermal layers
Somite
-segmented mesodermal blocks
-located on either side of the
developing spinal cord
-arise from dorsal mesoderm
Nephrotome (Intermediate
mesoderm/mesomere/nephromere)
-stalk-like connection between somites
and lateral plate mesoderm
-anteriorly:forms pronephros;
posteriorly:forms mesenchyme (will
develop into mesonephros and
metanephros
Hypomere
-region of mesoderm distal to
nephrotome
-subdivided into two layers:

>somatic
>splanchnic mesoderm
SECTION THROUGH THE PRIMITIVE
STREAK
Primitive streak
-longitudinal cleft formed of the
surface of the amniote blastodisc by
convergence of cells
-gastrulation begins as the epiblast
cells migrate towards and into the
streak
Hensens node (primitive knot)
-thickened area at the anterior
end of
the streak
-through which cells invaginates
to form
Notochord
-homologous to dorsal lip of
blastopore
Primitive pit
-depression slightly deeper than
primitive groove
-posterior to hensens node
Primitive groove
-central furrow more posterior
to
primitive pit
Primitive ridges
-thickened margins on each side
of the
primitive grovove