Dr.B.B.

Gosai
Professor in Anatomy
Ojvensha e-learning resources
 At the end of the lecture student should be
able to :
 Explain the development of pharyngeal arches
for head and neck.
 Mention various pharyngeal arch derivatives
including derivatives of pouches and clefts.
 Mention the nerve supply of each pharyngeal
arch.
 Correlate clinical conditions of head and neck
anomalies with development of arches.
 Langman’s Medical Embryology by
T.W.Sadler

 Other reference text book:

 Keith Moore’s Developing Human
 Most typical feature in development of head and neck
is Pharyngeal (Branchial) arches.
 Pharyngeal arch is bar of mesenchymal tissue
separated by clefts.
 There are six pharyngeal arches. First to Sixth
Pharyngeal arches. Fifth arch appear and immediately
disappear. Fourth and Sixth arch is fused to form single
arch. So, ultimately four arches are seen on surface of
head and neck region of embryo: First arch, Second
arch, Third Arch and Fourth –Sixth fused arch.
 Each arch is separated from other by Pharyngeal cleft
from external aspect and by Pharyngeal Pouch from
internal aspect.
 Each Pharyngeal arch consists of core of
mesenchymal tissue covered on outside
by ectoderm and on inside by endoderm.
 Each arch is having its own skeletal
components, muscular components, own
cranial nerve components and arterial
component.
 It consists of:
 Maxillary process: Dorsal portion.
 Mandibular porcess: Ventral portion which contain Meckel’s
cartilage.
 Skeletal Components (Bones):
 Maxillary Process: premaxilla, maxilla, zygomatic bone, part of
temporal bone.
 Mandibular process: incus, malleus, Mandible,
Shpenomandibular ligament.
 Muscular Components (Muscles):
 Muscles of mastication (temporalis, masseter, lateral and
medial pterygoid), anterior belly of digastric, mylohyoid,
tensor tympani, tensor palatini.
 Nerve of First Arch: Mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve.
 Artery of First Arch: Maxillary artery.
 Skeletal Components (Bones): Cartilage of second arch
(Hyoid Arch) is Reichert’s cartilage.
 Stapes, styloid process of temporal bone, stylohyoid
ligament, lesser horn and upper part of the body of
hyoid bone
 Muscular Components (Muscles):
 Muscles of facial expression, posterior belly of
digastric, stapedius, stylohoid, auricular muscles.
 Nerve of Second Arch: Facial nerve.
 Artery of Second Arch: Stapedial artery.
 Skeletal Components (Bones):
 Greater horn and lower part of the body of
hyoid bone
 Muscular Components (Muscles):
 Stylopharyngeus muscle.
 Nerve of Third Arch: Glossopharyngeal nerve.
 Artery of Third Arch: common carotid artery.
 Cartilaginous Components (Cartilages):
 Thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, arytenoid cartilages,
corniculate and cuneiform cartilages of larynx.
 Muscular Components (Muscles):
 Fourth Arch Muscles: Constrictor muscles of pharynx,
cricothyroid, levetor palatini.
 Sixth Arch Muscles: All the muscles of larynx except
cricothyroid.
 Nerve of Fourth Arch: Superior laryngeal branch of vagus
nerve.
 Nerve of Sixth Arch: Recurrent laryngeal branch of vagus
nerve.
 Arteries of Fourth Arch: Arch of aorta.
 Arteries of Sixth Arch: Pulmonary artery.
 First Pharyngeal Pouch:
 Tubotympanic recess form middle ear cavity, Auditory
(Eustachian) tube, inner lining of tympanic membrane
(eardrum).
 Second Pharyngeal Pouch:
 Palatine tonsil in tonsillar fossa.
 Third Pharyngeal Pouch:
 Dorsal wing of pouch form inferior parathyroid gland.
 Ventral wing of pouch form thymus gland.
 Fourth Pharyngeal Pouch:
 Superior parathyroid gland.
 Fifth Pharyngeal Pouch: lost to develop and usually
considered to be part of fourth pouch.
 Ultimobranchial body which incorporated in thyroid gland and
gives rise to Parafollicular (C-Cells) cells which secrete
calcitonin.
 First Pharyngeal cleft:
 External auditory meatus, outer lining of
tympanic membrane (eardrum).
 Second to fourth Pharyngeal cleft: Disappear
due to proliferation of second arch
overgrowing on these cleft. Initially small
cavity known as cervical sinus in there but later
on it also disappear.
 Ectopic thymic or parathyroid tissue.
 Branchial fistulas:
 Occur when second arch fails to grow over second,
third and fourth pharyngeal clefts.
 Lateral cervical cyst:
 Remnants of cervical sinus.
 Internal branchial fistulas:
 Rare but when present communicates cervical sinus
on external surface to lumen of pharynx or tonsillar
region internally.