DR NOMANA MAHMOOD

Neuroectoderm
of forebrain

Mesoderm
THE EYES ARE DERIVED FROM FOUR between the
two
SOURCES: Surface
ectoderm of
head

• THE NEUROECTODERM OF THE Neural crest cells

FOREBRAIN
• THE SURFACE ECTODERM OF THE
HEAD
• THE MESODERM BETWEEN THE
ABOVE LAYERS
• NEURAL CREST
Neuroectoderm Differentiates into:

1. Retina,
2. Posterior layers of iris
3. Optic nerve.
 Surface
ectoderm

Corneal
Lens
epithelium
 Mesoderm

Corneal
Choroid
endothelium
 Neural Crest Cells

Vascular
Corneal Ciliary and
Choroid Sclera
stroma iris muscles
layer
• THE DEVELOPING EYE APPEARS IN THE
22-DAY EMBRYO AS A PAIR OF
SHALLOW GROOVES ON THE SIDES OF
THE FOREBRAIN.

• WITH CLOSURE OF THE NEURAL TUBE,

THE GROOVES FORM OUTPOCKETINGS
OF THE FOREBRAIN, THE OPTIC
VESICLES.

• THESE VESICLES COME IN CONTACT

WITH THE SURFACE ECTODERM AND
INDUCE LENS FORMATION.

• SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE OPTIC

VESICLE BEGINS TO INVAGINATE AND
FORMS THE DOUBLE-WALLED OPTIC
CUP.
• THE INNER AND OUTER LAYERS OF THIS
CUP ARE INITIALLY SEPARATED BY A
LUMEN, THE INTRARETINAL SPACE, BUT
SOON THIS LUMEN DISAPPEARS, AND
THE TWO LAYERS APPOSE EACH OTHER.
 .
• INVAGINATION IS NOT RESTRICTED TO THE
CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CUP BUT ALSO
INVOLVES A PART OF THE INFERIOR
SURFACE THAT FORMS THE CHOROID
FISSURE.

• FORMATION OF THIS FISSURE ALLOWS THE

HYALOID ARTERY TO REACH THE INNER
CHAMBER OF THE EYE.

• DURING THE 7TH WEEK, THE LIPS OF THE

CHOROID FISSURE FUSE, AND THE MOUTH
OF THE OPTIC CUP BECOMES A ROUND
OPENING, THE FUTURE PUPIL.
 COLOBOMA OF RETINA
• DEFECTIVE CLOSURE OF THE RETINAL FISSURE
• A CLEFT PERSISTS
• THEY MAY APPEAR AS NOTCHES OR GAPS IN ONE OF SEVERAL PARTS OF THE EYE
DEVELOPS FROM WALLS OF THE OPTIC CUP
THE OUTER THINNER LAYER OF THE OPTIC CUP, CHARACTERIZED BY SMALL
PIGMENT GRANULES, IS KNOWN AS THE PIGMENTED LAYER OF THE RETINA.

INNER THICKER LAYER FORMS THE NEURAL RETINA..

• ADJACENT TO IT IS THE
MANTLE LAYER, WHICH GIVES
RISE TO NEURONS AND
SUPPORTING CELLS.

• ON THE SURFACE IS A
FIBROUS LAYER THAT
CONTAINS AXONS OF NERVE
CELLS OF THE DEEPER LAYERS.

• NERVE FIBERS IN THIS ZONE

CONVERGE TOWARD THE
OPTIC STALK, WHICH
DEVELOPS INTO THE OPTIC
NERVE.
 It later divides into
The anterior fifth of :
the inner layer, the
pars ceca retinae,
remains one cell
layer thick. the pars iridica
retinae, which forms the
inner layer of the iris,

the pars ciliaris

retinae, which participates in
formation of the ciliary body.
• IN THE ADULT, THE IRIS IS FORMED BY:
• THE PIGMENT-CONTAINING EXTERNAL
LAYER,
• THE UNPIGMENTED INTERNAL LAYER OF
THE OPTIC CUP, AND
• A LAYER OF RICHLY VASCULARIZED
CONNECTIVE TISSUE THAT CONTAINS THE
PUPILLARY MUSCLES

• THE PARS CILIARIS RETINAE IS EXTERNALLY

COVERED BY A LAYER OF MESENCHYME
THAT FORMS THE CILIARY MUSCLE

• ON THE INSIDE, IT IS CONNECTED TO THE

LENS BY A NETWORK OF ELASTIC FIBERS, THE
SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT OR ZONULA.
• THE DOUBLE LAYERED EPITHELIUM OF THE IRIS IS
CONTINUOUS WITH THAT OF THE CILIARY BODY
AND THE RETINA.

• THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE OF THE IRIS IS DERIVED

FROM THE NEURAL CREST CELLS.

• THE SPHINCTER AND DILATOR PUPILLAE ARE

DERIVED FROM THE NEUROECTODERM OF THE OPTIC
CUP.

• FORMED BY TRANSFORMATION OF EPITHELIAL CELLS

INTO SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS.
• SHORTLY AFTER FORMATION OF THE
LENS VESICLE, CELLS OF THE POSTERIOR
WALL BEGIN TO ELONGATE ANTERIORLY
AND FORM LONG FIBERS THAT
GRADUALLY FILL THE LUMEN OF THE
VESICLE.

• BY THE END OF THE SEVENTH WEEK,

THESE PRIMARY LENS FIBERS REACH THE
ANTERIOR WALL OF THE LENS VESICLE.

• GROWTH OF THE LENS IS NOT FINISHED

AT THIS STAGE, HOWEVER, SINCE NEW
(SECONDARY) LENS FIBERS ARE
CONTINUOUSLY ADDED TO THE
CENTRAL CORE.
BY THE 5TH WEEK THE LOOSE
MESENCHYME THAT SURROUNDS
THE EYE ( NCC) DIFFERENTIATES
INTO:

• AN INNER LAYER COMPARABLE

WITH THE PIA MATER OF THE
BRAIN FORMS A HIGHLY
VASCULARIZED PIGMENTED
LAYER KNOWN AS THE
CHOROID

• AN OUTER LAYER THAT

DEVELOPS INTO THE SCLERA
AND IS CONTINUOUS WITH THE
DURA MATER AROUND THE
OPTIC NERVE
• THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER FORMS
THROUGH VACUOLIZATION AND
SPLITS THE MESENCHYME INTO:

• AN INNER LAYER IN FRONT OF

THE LENS AND IRIS, THE
IRIDOPUPILLARY MEMBRANE,

• AN OUTER LAYER CONTINUOUS

WITH THE SCLERA, THE
SUBSTANTIA PROPRIA OF THE
CORNEA.

• THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER ITSELF

IS LINED BY FLATTENED
MESENCHYMAL CELLS.
• THE CORNEA IS FORMED BY:
• AN EPITHELIAL LAYER DERIVED FROM
THE SURFACE ECTODERM,
• THE SUBSTANTIA PROPRIA OR STROMA,
WHICH IS CONTINUOUS WITH THE
SCLERA,
• AN EPITHELIAL LAYER, WHICH BORDERS
THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER.

• THE IRIDOPUPILLARY MEMBRANE IN FRONT

OF THE LENS DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY.

• THE POSTERIOR CHAMBER IS THE SPACE

BETWEEN THE IRIS ANTERIORLY AND THE
LENS AND CILIARY BODY POSTERIORLY.
Initially the lens Vesicle and
the inner layer of the optic
stalk are in contact .

Mesenchyme also invades

the inside of the optic cup by
way of the choroid fissure.

Primary vitreous body

Secondary vitreous body

• THE OPTIC CUP CONNECTED TO THE BRAIN BY THE OPTIC STALK, HAS CHOROID FISSURE,
& CONTAINS THE HYALOID VESSELS.

• THE NERVE FIBERS OF THE RETINA LIE AMONG CELLS OF THE INNER WALL OF THE STALK

• DURING THE SEVENTH WEEK, THE CHOROID FISSURE IS CLOSED AND THE INSIDE AND
OUTSIDE WALLS OF THE STALK FUSE.

• CELLS OF THE INNER LAYER PROVIDE A NETWORK OF NEUROGLIA THAT SUPPORT THE
OPTIC NERVE FIBERS.

• THE OPTIC STALK IS THUS TRANSFORMED INTO THE OPTIC NERVE. ITS CENTER CONTAINS A
PORTION OF THE HYALOID ARTERY, LATER CALLED THE CENTRAL ARTERY OF THE RETINA.
• COLOBOMAS – IF CHOROID FISSURE FAILS TO FUSE
• LANGMAN’S MEDICAL EMBRYOLOGY,12TH EDITION

• THE DEVELOPING HUMAN, KEITH L. MOORE, 8TH EDITION

• GOOGLE SEARCH FOR IMAGES.