Human Anatomy 101 - What you need to know - Embryology

Learning goals
• The participant can describe in general terms how all tissues of the body derive from
three embryological origins: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm
• The participant can state the main tissues deriving from ectoderm, mesoderm and
endoderm.

In the first two weeks after fertilization of a female oocyte (egg) by a sperm, the resultant
implants in the inner wall of the uterus and two cavities form in it: the amniotic cavity and the
yolk sac (fig. 1). In between them is a disk, the embryonic disc. The complete embryo will result
from this embryonic disc.

Figure 1 Embryonic disc and cavities

By Dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, O.P. Gobée, S.B. Blankevoort, C.H.F.Hendricks. Netherlands.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
In the third week of embryonic development a process called gastrulation occurs. It comprises
the formation of three germ layers in the embryonic disk: the endoderm, mesoderm and
ectoderm (fig. 2). All body tissues derive from these three layers.

Figure 2 The three layers of the embryonic disc

Starting in the fourth week after fertilization, the

embryonic disc will fold, both in its length and its
width, with the ectoderm at its outer side and the
curved sides coming together at what later
becomes the navel (umbilicus). During this
process, the yolk sac becomes engulfed in the
embryo.

The resultant can be regarded as a ‘tube in tube’

(fig 3) with the ectoderm lying at the outer side
and the endoderm at the inner side. In between
lies the mesoderm (not shown in figure).
This model is helpful to understand and remember
which structures will derive from the three germ
layers. Roughly spoken: the ectoderm gives rise to Figure 3 'Tube in a tube' model
By Dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, O.P. Gobée, S.B. Blankevoort, C.H.F.Hendricks. Netherlands.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
the outer layer (the epidermis) of the skin, whilst the endoderm gives rise to the inner lining
(epithelia) of all ‘tubes’ inside the body that are in connection with the outside, to be more
precise: the gut, the airways and lungs, and the bladder. And finally, the mesoderm forms -
more or less- ‘everything in between’.

Figure 4. Fate map of the three main germ layers: the endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm.

More specific (fig. 4):

The endoderm forms the inner linings (epithelia) of the digestive tract and the respiratory tract.
Also it forms the epithelia of the glands that open into the digestive tract and the epithelial parts
of associated organs such as the liver, pancreas and thyroid gland.

The ectoderm gives rise to the outer layer (epidermis) of the skin, to the hair, the nails, the
glands in the skin and the pigment cells (melanocytes) in the skin. Also it forms the central and

By Dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, O.P. Gobée, S.B. Blankevoort, C.H.F.Hendricks. Netherlands.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
peripheral nervous systems, including the internal ear and the retina of the eye. Finally it gives
rise to a part of the adrenal glands and to many connective tissues of the head.

The mesoderm gives rise to connective tissues, including the dermis of the skin, bone, cartilage,
tendons and the connective tissue inside internal organs, as well as to muscles. Further it forms
most of the cardiovascular system including the heart, blood and lymphatic vessels, blood cells
and the spleen. Also it gives rise to the urogenital system including the kidneys, the ovaries and
testes. Finally it forms the serous membranes that line the body cavities (pericardium, pleura
and peritoneum).

Be aware that many structures in the body contain a combination of tissues deriving from the
different germ layers. For instance, when regarding the gut, its inner layer (epithelium) is
endoderm derived, the rest of the gut wall is mainly mesoderm derived (muscles, connective
tissues), whilst the nervous tissues in the gut wall are ectoderm derived.

Embryo and fetus

The pregnancy is traditionally divided into an embryonic and a fetal period, in which the
conceptus is named respectively embryo and fetus.

During the embryonic period, that lasts roughly till the end of the eighth week after fertilization,
all major structures of the body form. At the end of this period, the embryo has got a
recognizable human appearance.

During the fetal period, that starts at roughly the ninth week, all organ systems, organs and
tissues develop and grow to its final shape and size at birth.

By Dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, O.P. Gobée, S.B. Blankevoort, C.H.F.Hendricks. Netherlands.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.