ZOO100 – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Phylogeny

Name/s: Abigail T. Aglobo, Rey Tristan B. Dely, John Perry B. Date Oct. 27, 2021
Eucare, Bashier A. Jailani Jr., Jaynald Ree P. Postrado
Section AB328 Instructor Thucydides Salunga, PhD

Exercise 3 Chordate Embryology Part 1

I. Objectives:
In this exercise, the student shall:
1) describe the different early developmental stages of some representative chordates
post-fertilization
2) identify the features that distinguish the different embryonic stages of some vertebrate
models
3) identify the germ layer derivations of different organs or organs systems of vertebrates

II. Methodology
Examine the following prepared slides (search the web or use other references) and identify
the structures listed for each specimen as you study them.

1) frog blastula
2) frog early gastrula
3) frog late gastrula
4) frog neural plate stage
5) frog neural groove stage
6) frog neural tube stage
7) 10-mm tadpole, serial sections
8) 22- to 24-hour chick embryo, w.m.
9) 48-hour chick embryo, w.m.

For items 1-3 below, draw the specimens in pencil on the spaces provided. Photomicrographs
are already provided for items 4 and 5. Every figure must be completely labeled regardless of
whether the same structures have already been labeled in some preceding figure. Labels are to
be written in pencil parallel to the top and bottom edges of the paper, and lines drawn with a
ruler from the labels to the parts indicated. Labels for some sizable regions of the body may
require the use of brackets. Refer to Hyman’s Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy for the
descriptions of the given structures. Answer also the questions on the spaces provided.

III. Laboratory Output

1) Frog blastula stage

Structures: blastocoel, blastomeres,
animal pole, vegetal pole,
micromeres, macromeres

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STUDY QUESTIONS
a) Supply the terms describing the frog egg with regards to the following. Provide also a
brief definition of these terms.

Amount of yolk- Mesolecithal egg: the amount of yolk present is moderate and is
not high, hence these eggs are also named as mesolecithal eggs.

Distribution of yolk - Moderately Telolecithal egg: this type of egg contains a

moderate quantity of yolk which is distributed unevenly.

Cleavage type - Unequal holoblastic cleavage: in mesolecithal and telolocithal eggs,

cleavage leads to the formation of blastomeres of unequal size.

2) Frog gastrula stage

Label the following structures where they are applicable. Take note that some structures
may not be present in both stages.

Structures: blastocoel, animal pole, vegetal pole, blastopore, ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm,
dorsal lip of the blastopore, ventral lip of the blastopore, archenteron/gastrocoel,
yolk plug

Frog early gastrula stage Frog late gastrula stage

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3) Frog neurula stage
There are three subphases of neurulation: the neural plate stage, neural groove stage, and
neural tube stage. Write the specific neurula substage below each corresponding drawing. Label
also the following structures where they are applicable. Take note that some structures may not
be present in some stages.

Structures: epidermal ectoderm, neural ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm,

archenteron/gastrocoel, notochord, neural plate, neural groove, neural ridges/folds,
neural tube, neurocoel

neural plate stage neural groove stage

______________________________________ ______________________________________

neural tube stage

_____________________________________

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4) Frog late organogenesis
Examine the serial sections of the 10-mm frog embryo at different levels from the most
anterior to the most posterior. Photomicrographs of each level are already provided. Label the
parts indicated for each level of the embryo.

4a) Level of the olfactory placode

• telencephalon
Epidermis
• telocoel
• olfactory placode
• epidermis Telencephalon
• pharynx Telocoel
• cartilages
Olfactory placode

Cartilages
Pharynx

4b) Level of the optic cup

• diencephalon Diencephalon
• diocoel Diocoel
• optic cup Cornea
• retina Optic cup
• lens Lens
• cornea Retina
• pharynx
• cartilages

Cartilages Pharynx

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4c) Level of the heart
• rhombencephalon Rhombocoel
• rhombocoel
• notochord Rhombencephalon
Otic Vesicle
• otic vesicle
• pharynx
• internal gills Notochord
• atrium Pharynx
• ventricle
• pericardial cavity Atrium
Internal
Gills
Ventricle
Pericardial
Cavity

4d) Level of the lung buds

• rhombencephalon Rhombocoel
Rhombencephalon
• rhombocoel
• notochord
Notochord Somite
• somite Nephros
• nephros
• lung buds Lung Buds Esophagus
• esophagus
• liver
• digestive tract Liver
• peritoneal cavity

Digestive Tract
Peritoneal Cavity

4e) Level of the hindgut

• dorsal fin
• spinal cord Dorsal Fin
• notochord
• somite
• Wolffian duct Spinal Cord
• hindgut
• coelom Somite
Notochord

Wolffian Duct
Hindgut
Coelom

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STUDY QUESTIONS
b) Complete the table below by supplying the germ layer origin of the following structures.
Take note than these structures may originate from more than one germ layer in which
case you have to indicate all the apply.

STRUCTURE GERM LAYER ORIGIN STRUCTURE GERM LAYER ORIGIN

a. Epidermis - Ectoderm l. Nephros - Mesoderm
b. Telencephalon - Ectoderm m. Lung buds - Endoderm
c. Diencephalon - Ectoderm n. Esophagus - Endoderm
d. Rhombencephalon - Ectoderm o. Stomach - Endoderm
e. Spinal cord - Mesoderm p. Intestine - Endoderm
f. Optic lens - Ectoderm q. Liver - Endoderm
g. Optic cup - Ectoderm r. Gall bladder - Endoderm
h. Olfactory placode - Ectoderm s. Hindgut - Endoderm
i. Otic vesicle - Ectoderm t. Dorsal fin - Ectoderm
j. Heart - Mesoderm u. Coelomic lining - Endoderm
k. Muscle somite - Mesoderm

5) 24-hour and 48-hour chick embryo

Examine the slides of the 24-hour and 48-hour chick embryo.

STUDY QUESTIONS
c) Write three features that distinguish the 24-hour from the 48-hour chick embryo.

1. ) At 24 hours of the incubation period, the chick embryo is in a shape of an oval. As the
development proceeds at 48 hours of the incubation period, the embryo takes now the
shape of a C.
2. ) In the 24 hours of the incubation period, the chick embryo has 4 pairs of somites present.
While, in the 48 hours of the incubation period of the embryo, there are 26 pairs of somites
present.
3. ) 24 hours after incubation, the primitive streak is seen, whereas, at 48 hours of incubation,
the primitive streak in the embryo is greatly reduced due to the lengthening of the neural
tube.

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 Label the following structures where they are applicable. Take note that some structures
may not be present in both stages.

Structures: area pellucida, prosencephalon, anterior neuropore, neural folds, primitive streak,
Hensen’s node, notochord, optic cup, telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon,
metencephalon, myelencephalon, spinal cord, heart, lateral fold, spinal cord, lateral
mesoderm, tail bud

Anterior Neuropore
Prosencephalon

Area Pellucida
Neural Fold

Notochord

Hensen’s Node

Primitive Streak

Figure 4a. 24-hour chick embryo

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Mesencephalon
Metencephalon Diencephalon
Optic Cup
Myelencephalon
Telencephalon

Heart

Lateral Fold

Lateral Mesoderm

Spinal Cord

Tail Bud

Figure 4b. 48-hour chick embryo

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