MAJOR EVENTS OF THIRD WEEK OF EMBRYONIC

DEVELOPMENT

1-Gastrulation
2-Notochord formation
3-Neurulation

1-GASTRULATION
Is the transformation of the (bi-laminar) two layer disk (epiblast, hypoblast)
to a three-layer disk (tri-laminar) (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm)

how does gastrulation happen?

Epiblast is laying above hypoblast, in the beginning of third week the cells of the epiblast
migrate downward and inward into the hypoblast, as this action occurs from both side a
structure forms shaped like a waterfall and this structure is called primitive streak
Above the primitive streak a groove is created and this groove is called primitive node.

With the formation of the primitive streak, gastrulation happens

The cells inside the hypoblast are now called endoderm
The cells on the epiblast are now called ectoderm
The remaining cells between these two layers are mesoderm

2-NOTOCHORD FORMATION:
After formation of primitive node, a hollow structure shaped like a tunnel is formed
This structure starts from the ectoderm and elongates until it opens up in the endoderm
This opening lasts two days from day 16 to day 18 and this opening is for equilibration of
pressure between yolk sac and amniotic cavity, after that it will close and becomes a structure
in the mesoderm.
3-NEURULATION

(Is the transformation of neural plate to neural tube)

After formation of the three layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm), a layer of cells on the
surface of ectoderm thickness this layer of cells are called neural tube, then these cells form
two layers of folds on each side and these folds grows towards each other to form neural tube
The folds of cells are called neural fold, the groove between them is called neural groove
This neural tube will form the peripheral nervous system in the future embryo.

FOURTH WEEK OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

Folding of the embryo happens in this week

There are two types of embryonic folding which are:

Head-tail folding
Lateral folding

Head tail folding occurs so that the yolk sac will become an enclosed tube and this tube will
form the GI tract of the future embryo while the lateral folding occurs so that amniotic cavity
would surround the entire developing embryo and protect it until the baby Is born.

The videos I uploaded in E learning is very clear in explaining these events

Watch them to understand better.