Week 2 Flashcards
(191 cards)
Where do the CNS and PNS develop from?
Ectoderm
What other structures develop from ectoderm?
Sensory epithelium of the ear, nose and eye; the epidermis, hair and nails; the subcutaneous, mammary and pituitary gland; and the enamel of teeth
When does the CNS first appear?
End of week 3
What are the first signs of the CNS appearance?
Thickening of the ectoderm layer in the mid-dorsal region of the primitive streak
How does development of the notochord begin?
From the primitive node a tube extends under the ectoderm in the opposite direction to the primitive streak- this tube forms first the axial process, then the notochord process, and finally the notochord
What is the role of the notochord?
Role in molecular signalling and controlling the direction of embryonic folding, as well as an inductive relationship with overlying ectoderm
What is the initial event in the process of neurulation?
Thickening of the ectoderm (induced by the appearance of the notochord and mesoderm) to form the neural plate; the cells of which make up the neuroectoderm
Describe the neural plate:
Made of neruoectoderm, it lengthens and its lateral edges elevate (forming neural folds, and a depressed mid-region forms the neural groove)
How is the neural tube formed?
Neural folds approach each other in the midline and fuse
What factors define the being of the neural plate?
Intrinsic factors: cytoskeleton, stage of cell cycle; and extrinsic factors: adhesion points e.g. within notochord, surface ectoderm
What signals are expressed in neurulation?
Up-regulation of FGF, inhibition of BMP-4 caused induction of the neural plate; chordin and noggin are expressed’ neural plate switched from E-cadherin to N-cadherin expression
How are neural crest cells formed?
Tissue at the top of the neural folds becomes pinched off- neural crest tissue
What do neural crest cells give rise to?
Ganglia, Schwann cells, adrenal medulla, melanocytes and connective tissue in the head
What malformations can result from disruption of neural crest cell migration?
Treacher Collins syndrome- under development of the zygomatic bones and ears
Di George syndrome- cleft palate, cardiac abnormalities, abnormal facies, thymic aplasia
How does closure of the neural tube take place?
Fusion begins in the cervical region and proceeds in cephalic and caudal directions; open ends of the tube form the anterior and posterior neuropores (connect with the overlying amniotic cavity)
When is closure of the neural tube complete?
In week 4- anterior by day 25 and posterior by day 27
How does differentiation of the spinal cord occur?
Once the neural tube closes, the neuroepithelial cells give rise to neuroblasts and form the mantle layer (later forms the grey matter of the spinal cord); the outer layer- marginal layer- contains nerve fibres emerging from neuroblasts in the mantle layer
Where do motor axons grow from?
Out of neurones in the basal plate (ventral horn)
Where do neurons in dorsal root ganglia extend towards?
The dorsal horn and periphery
When does development of the brain begin?
Week 3
What are the 3 primarily brain vesicles?
Forebrain (prosencephalon), midbrain (mesencephalon) and hindbrain (rhombencephalon)
What does uneven growth give rise to?
Folds, or flexures: cephalic flexure (convex dorsally), pontine flexure (convex ventrally) and cervical flexure (convex dorsally)
How does the brain develop in between week 3 and 5?
The forebrain becomes the telencephalon (gives rise to cerebrum) and diencephalon (becomes eye cup, thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus); the midbrain remains; and the hindbrain becomes the metencephalon (gives rise to pons and cerebellum) and the myelencephalon (gives rise to medulla oblongata)
Where do meninges develop from?
Mesenchymal cells and neural crest cells- at day 20-35 these cells migrate around the neural tube