Developing Human, The

Urogenital System

The urogenital system is divided functionally into two different embryologically component parts: the urinary system and the genital system . The urogenital system includes all the organs involved in reproduction and forming and voiding urine. Embryologically, the systems are closely…

Alimentary System

T he alimentary system (digestive system) is the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, with all its associated glands and organs. The primordial gut forms during the fourth week as the head, caudal eminence (tail), and lateral folds…

Respiratory System

The lower respiratory organs (larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs) begin to form during the fourth week of development. Respiratory Primordium 9 The respiratory system starts as a median outgrowth, the laryngotracheal groove , which appears in the floor of the…

Pharyngeal Apparatus, Face, and Neck

T he pharyngeal apparatus consists of pharyngeal arches, pouches, grooves, and membranes ( Fig. 9.1 ). These early embryonic structures contribute to the formation of the face and neck. Open full size image Fig. 9.1 Pharyngeal apparatus. A , Dorsal…

Body Cavities, Mesenteries, and Diaphragm

Early in the fourth week of development of the embryo, the intraembryonic coelom appears as a horseshoe-shaped cavity ( Fig. 8.1 A ). The bend in the cavity at the cranial end of the embryo represents the future pericardial cavity…

Placenta and Fetal Membranes

The placenta and fetal membranes separate the fetus from the endometrium , the inner layer of the uterine wall. An interchange of substances, such as nutrients and oxygen, occurs between the maternal and fetal bloodstreams through the placenta. The vessels…

Fetal Period: Ninth Week to Birth

The transformation of an embryo to a fetus is gradual, but the name change is meaningful because it signifies that the primordia of all major systems have formed. Development during the fetal period is primarily concerned with rapid body growth…

Fourth to Eighth Weeks of Human Development

All major external and internal structures are established during the fourth to eighth weeks. By the end of this embryonic period, the main organ systems have started to develop. As the tissues and organs form, the shape of the embryo…

Third Week of Human Development

Rapid development of the embryo from the trilaminar embryonic disc during the third week (see Fig. 4.3 H ) is characterized by: Appearance of primitive streak Development of notochord Differentiation of three germ layers The third week of development coincides…

Second Week of Human Development

As implantation of the blastocyst occurs, morphologic changes in the embryoblast produce a bilaminar embryonic disc composed of epiblast and hypoblast ( Fig. 3.1 A ). The embryonic disc gives rise to the germ layers that form all the tissues…