EMBRYOLOGY OF THE

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

dr.Bangun Pramujo
 Origin of the nervous system
• Central nervous system (CNS) appears at the
beginning of the 3rd week of development
• The nervous system develops from the neural plate.
• The neural plate then differentiates to form the
neural groove, neural crest, neural folds and neural
tube.
 Origin of the nervous system (2)

• Neurulation is the formation of the neural tube

– Begins in the region of the 4th-6th somites
– The cranial 2/3 of the neural plate  the future brain
– The caudal 1/3 of the neural plate  spinal cord
– Neural canal is the lumen of the neural tube communicates with the
amniotic fluid
– the walls of the neural tube thickens to form the brain and the spinal
cord
– The neural canal is converted into the ventricular system of the brain
and the central canal of the spinal cord
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT
 Development of brain
• Fusion of the neural folds in the cranial region forms
3 primary brain vesicles
– Forebrain “prosencephalon”
– Midbrain “mesencephalon”
– Hindbrain “rhombencephalon”
• During development,
– the forebrain divides into  telencephalon and
diencephalon
– the midbrain does not divide
– the hindbrain divides into  metencephalon and
myelencephalon
 Brain flexures
• During development, the embryonic brain grows
rapidly and bends ventrally with the head fold  this
produces the
– Cephalic flexure in the midbrain
– Cervical flexure at the junction of the hindbrain and spinal
cord
• Later, unequal growth of the brain between these
flexures produces the pontine flexure.
– This flexure results in thinning of the roof of the hindbrain
 Spinal Cord
• The wall of the neural tube consists of
neuroepithelial cells (a thick pseudostratified
epithelium)
• They divide rapidly during the neural groove stage
and immediately after closure of the tube
 Spinal Cord (2)
• Motor nerve fibers (from nerve cells in the basal
plates) begin to appear in the 4th week collect into
bundles (ventral nerve roots).
• Dorsal nerve roots form as collections of fibers
originating from cells in dorsal root ganglia (spinal
ganglia).
• Neural crest cells (from ectodermal) migrate laterally
and give rise to sensory ganglia (dorsal root ganglia)
 Spinal Nerve
• Motor nerve fibers begin to appear in the 4th week
(from basal plates nerve cells).
• Dorsal nerve roots form as collections of fibers from
cells in dorsal root ganglia (spinal ganglia).
• Spinal nerves are formed by ventral nerve roots and
dorsal nerve roots (central processes from dorsal
root ganglia), immediately devide into dorsal and
ventral primary rami.
 Forebrain
• Optic vesicles are 2 lateral outgrowths that appear on
each side of the forebrain  primordia of the retinae
and optic nerves
• Cerebral vesicles is the second pair of outhgrowths
 primordia of cerebral hemispheres and lateral
ventricles
• Telencephalon “anterior part of the forebrain” and
diencephalon “posterior part of the forebrain”
contribute to the formation of 3rd ventricle.
 Telencephalon
• The telencephalon consist of
– Cerebral vesicles:”2 lateral diverticula” primordia
of the cerebral hemispheres
– The median portion of telencephalon forms the
anterior part of 3rd ventricle
• At first, the cerebral vesicles are in communication
with cavity of 3rd ventricle through the
interventricular foramina as the cerebral
hemispheres expand, they meet in the midline.
– The mesenchyme trapped between them gives
rise to the falx cerebri “fold of dura mater”
 Diencephalon
• Swellings develop in the lateral wall of the 3rd
ventricle  epithalamus, thalamus and
hypothalamus.
– The thalamus develops rapidly and bulges into the
cavity of the 3rd ventricle
– The hypothalamus arises by proliferation of
neuroblasts in the intermediate zone of the
diencephalon
– The epithalamus develops form the roof and
dorsal portion of the lateral walls of the
diencephalon
 Midbrain
• The neural canal that passes through the midbrain
narrows  cerebral aqueduct
• Neuroblasts migrate from the alar plates of the
midbrain into the tectum “roof” and aggregate to
form  superior and inferior colliculi  concerned
with the visual and auditory reflexes
• Neuroblasts from the basal plates give rise to 
neurons in the tegmentum "red nuclei, 3rd and 4th
cranial nerve nuclei, and the reticular nuclei” and the
substantia nigra
• In cerebral peduncles, fibers from the cerebrum pass
through the midbrain  brain stem  spinal cord
 Hindbrain
• The cervical flexure demarcates the hindbrain from
the spinal cord
– Later this junction will be defined as the level of
the superior rootlet of the cervical nerve.
• The pontine flexure divides the hindbrain into
– Metencephalon  develops into the pons and
cerebellum.
– Myelencephalon  develops into medulla
oblongata
• The cavity of the hindbrain becomes the 4th ventricle
and the central canal in the caudal part of the
medulla
 Metencephalon
• The cerebellum develops from thickenings of dorsal parts of
the alar plates
• Neuroblasts in the intermediate zone of the alar plates
migrate and differentiate into the neurons of the cerebellar
cortex
• Cells from the alar plate give rise to the dentate nucleus
“largest nucleus”, pontine nuclei, the cochlear & vestibular
nuclei and the sensory nuclei of the trigeminal nerve.
• Bands of nerve fibers cross the median plane and form a
bulky ridge  pons
 Myelencephalon (1)
• Neuroblasts from the alar plates in the
mylencephalon migrate into the marginal zone and
form isolated areas of the grey matter  gracile
nuclei “medial” and cuneate nuclei “lateral”
• The ventral area of the medulla contains the
pyramids ( pair of fiber bundles)
• During development, as the walls of the medulla
move laterally, the alar plates lie lateral to the basal
plates  motor nuclei medial to sensory nuclei
 Myelencephalon (2)
• Neuroblasts from the basal plate form nuclei:
– General somatic efferent: neurons of hypoglossal nerve
– Special visceral efferent: neurons innervating muscles
derived from pharyngeal arches
– General visceral efferent: neurons of the vagus and
glossopharyngeal nerves
• Neuroblasts of the alar plate form nuclei:
– General visceral afferent: receive impulses from viscera
– Special visceral afferent: receive taste fibers
– General somatic afferent: receive impulses from the surface
of the head
– Special somatic afferent: receiving impulses from ear
cerebellum