NEUROEMBRYOLOGY

NEURAL TUBE FORMATION

 16-18th day
 Neural Plate
Thickened Ectoderm
(+ )Rapid proliferation & stratification
Leads to Neural Groove formation
 Primitive streak
 Neural tube
 Neural crest
 Cranio caudal fusion of Neural Folds

Anterior Neuropore
Posterior Neuropore
 Neural tube is completed by
24th day: Anterior neuropore
26th day: Posterior neuropore

 The Cephalic end becomes enlarged indicating

the formation of the Primary Brain vesicles

 The Caudal end forms the Spinal cor

 Vascular system now formed
28th day
 3 Primary bulges: Procencephalon
Mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon
 Secondary Bulges: Optic vesicles
 Cephalic flexure
 Cervical flexure
 Cavities
36th day
 Division of forebrain
Posterior: Diencephalon and diocele
Anterior: Telencephalon
-Telencephalic vesicles
(lateral teloceles)
-Median telocele
- Mesocele
36th day
 Differentiation of the Hindbrain
Metencephalon and metacele
Myelencephalon and myocele
49th day
 Differentiation of the Telencephalon
2 Olfactory lobes (Rhinencephalon)
 Pontine flexure
3 months
 Smooth Telencephalon has overgrown the
diencephalon
 Spinal cord extended to the coccygeal tip of the
vertebral column
 Formed foramens of the ventricular system
 Diffferentiation of the Telencephalon
- 2 hemispheres
- 3 parts of each hemisphere
Rhinencephalon
Basal / Striatal
Suprastriatal
 Rhinencephalon (Limbic lobe)
- Hippocampus ( Archipallium)
- olfactory bulbs
- Bilateral Piriform lobes
- Septum Pellucidum
- Fornix
- Stria terminalis
- Amygdaloid body
- Olfactory gyri
- Parahippocampal gyrus
- Cingulate gyrus
 Striatal Area
 Corpus Striatum
 Thalamus
 Suprastriatal Region
 Convoluted cerebral cortex

1.5 to 4mm thick

2,300 cm3

Differentiation of ventricular system with the choroid ..

 NEURAL CREST
 Thinned lateral margin of the Neural plate
 Neural Crest Cells
 Neural Crest cells of Occipital and Spinal
areas give rise to:

 1. Primary sensory neurons in the Dorsal root

Ganglia
 2. Sensory Neurons of Cranial nerves

( V, VII, VIII, IX, X )

 3. All sensory cells and fibers of PNS
 4. Most Peripheral Cells of ANS
 5. Neurolemmal sheath of all peripheral
nerves
 6. Capsule cells of the ganglia
 7. Sympathetic ganglia
 8. Chromaffin Cells of Adrenal gland
 9. Pigment cells
 Neural Crest of the Cephalic Neural Tube
give rise to

 Many Diverse structures of the Head

and Neck
HISTOGENESIS OF Neural tube
 HISTOGENESIS OF Neural tube
 Modern Concept
Neuroepithelial cells
a. Neuroblasts
Mantle Layer
Marginal layer
b. Glioblasts
Glial cells
Ger
Man
Marg
 NEURONS
 Neuroblasts
- Primitive nerve cell
- Once formed, they lose their ability to
divide
- APOLAR
BIPOLAR
MUTIPOLAR
 GLIAL CELLS
 Glioblasts
- Primitive supporting cells
- formed after Neuroblast
production has ceased
- Transforms into
a. Ependymal cells
b. Astrocytes
c. Oligodendrocytes
 MICROGLIA
 Arise from mesoderm
 Appear once blood vessels are present
 Derived from blood histiocytes
 Phagocytic functions
 SPINAL CORD
 The Mantle
› 2 thickenings:
a. Anterior-----Basal Plates
forms the Anterior Gray Horn
b. Posterior--- Alar Plates
forms the Posterior Gray Horn
 Efferent Peripheral neurons arise from
Neuroblasts of the Basal plates

 Alar Plate axons remain within the CNS

 The Marginal layer
› Contains ascending and descending axons
( white matter )
 Mesoderm forms the bones and cartilages
around cord

 Until the beginning of the 3rd month

spinal cord extends the entire length of the
vertebral canal
 At birth
Conus Medullaris: level of L3
 Adult

Conus Medullaris: between L1-L2

Spinal cord occupies the upper 2/3
of vertebral canal
 Anterior Neuropore
 Posterior neuropore
 Neural crest cells
 Neural tube
 Brain Development
 3rd week post fertilization
Anterior neuropore closes
3 Vesicles/ Dilatations appear at the
cephalic end
Prosencephalon - forebrain
Mesencephalon - midbrain
Rhombencephalon- hindbrain
 Brain Flexures
1- Cervical Flexure
Between Rhombencephalon and
spinal cord
2- Cephalic Flexure
Between Mesencephalon and
Rhombenceephalon
3- Pontine flexure
Between Metencephalon and
Myelencephalon
Week 4
Week 5
 Brainstem
- consist of the Mesencephalon
Metencephalon
Myelencephalon

- also with Basal and Alar plates

- Cerebellum forms from the dorsomedial
rhombencephalic alar plate over the roof of
the 4th ventricle
 Ventricular system
Telencephalon- contains the
primitive lateral ventricles

Diencephalon- 3rd ventricle

Mesencephalon- Cerebral aqueduct

Rhombencephalon – 4th ventricle

 Cranial Nerves

› Appear in the 4th-5th wks

› Motor nuclei
- basal columns
- ventromedial
› Sensory nuclei
- alar columns
- Dorsolateral
 Forebrain: Prosencephalon
 Telencephalon
 Diencephalon
  Diencephalon
4th wk: pituitary gland( anterior lobe)
formation
5th wk: Thalamus and hypothalamus
formation (floor)
6th wk: Epithalamus formation (roof)
-- later becomes
Pineal gland
Habenula
Posterior commisure
 Optic vesicles are attached to the
diencephalon at early embryonic period

 3rd ventricle situated within

 Boundaries:
caudal: Posterior commissure
Cephalic: interventricular foramen
 Telencephalon
-Endbrain
-4th to 5th wk: bubble like, lateral
diverticula divided by the Lamina
terminalis
-Sulci- gyri complexes form at the
4th month
- expands caudally to cover
diencephalon
 Contain the lateral ventricles and Interventricular
foramen of Monro
 Hippocampal formation ( archipallium)

 Striatal Portion
-Corpus striatum formation
- thickened basal portion
 Suprastriatal portion

- primordium of the cerebral cortex

 Supratriatal portion
1. Germinal/ Matrix zone
-surrounds lateral ventrcle
2. Intermediate zone
- pale; white matter
3. Cortical zone
- represents the prospective
Neopallium
- Layers: Marginal Layer
Deep Pyramidal layer
Midbrain: Mesencephalon
 Most primitive vesicle
 Smallest, least differentiated part of brainstem
 Contains :

Cerebral aqueduct
3rd and 4th cranial nerves
Superior and inferior Colliculus
Midbrain Reticular formation
Pons and Cerebellum:
Metencephalon
 PONS
-2 parts :
Dorsal ( pontine Tegmentum)
Ventral
- contains :
5th,6th,7th,8th CN
Solitary nuclei
Pontine reticular formation
 CEREBELLUM

from the dorsolateral portions of the alar

plates that form the rhombic lips
Medulla: Myelencephalon
 Most caudal brain segment
 Extends from 1st spinal nerve to pontine
flexure
 Expanded by the 4th ventricle
 Contains:
Motor nuclei of CN 9th,10th, 11th, 12th
Sensory nuclei of 5th and 8th CN
Nuclei Gracilis and Cuneatus
Inferior Olivary complex
Foramina of Luschka
Foramen of Magendie
 Commissures
 Fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres
 Anterior commissure

connects the olfactory and bulb and parts of

the temporal lobe with the opposite side
 Commissure of the Fornix
connects the hippocampal formation with each
other

 Corpus Callosum
largest, most important
connects nonolfactory cortical areas
 Subdivisions of the brain

3 primary vesicles 5 secondary vesicles

Mature structures
(4 weeks) (5 weeks)

Cerebral cortex
Caudate nucleus
Telencephalon
Putamen
Amygdala
Prosencephalon
Thalamus
(forebrain)
Hypothalamus
Neural tube Epithalamus
Diencephalon
(2 weeks)
Subthalamus
Retina
Tectum
Mesencephalon
Tegmentum
(midbrain)
Cerebral peduncles
Pons
Rhombencephalon Metencephalon
Cerebellum
(hindbrain)
Myelencephalon Medulla

Spinal cord
 
Neuronal migration defect
 Organization of
dendrites and axon
 Monday
Neural tube formation
Neural Crest
Histogenesis of the Neural Tube
Neurons
Glial Cells
Spinal Cord
Friday
Brain
Myelencephalon
Metencephalon
Mesencephalon
Diencephalon
Telencephalon