pt ~~, . 19 LOLI € CYC TT t - a i) i} ie PL } a, 4 ie W > r ~ a ’ 7 ‘ > } , } z & F Xi i a.) bees Digitized by the Internet Archive : in 2008 with funding from howe Microsoft Corporation oie = ‘ http /www.archive.org/details/developmentoffro0 f i Lye re Vek oe THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG AN INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIMENTAL EMBRYOLOGY BY THOMAS HUNT MORGAN, Pu.D. PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, BRYN MAWR COLLEGE ANKWS News Work LUw1-43 | THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Lro. “1897 All rights reserved a ae, >? Copyrieut, 1897, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. \ PREFACE THE development of the frog’s egg was first made known through the studies of Swammerdam, Spallanzani, Rusconi, and yon Baer. Their work laid the basis for all later research. More recently the experiments of Pfliger and of Roux on this egg have turned the attention of embryologists to the study of development from an experimental standpoint. Owing to the ease with which the frog’s egg can be obtained, and its tenacity of life in a confined space, as well as its suitability for experimental work, it is an admirable subject with which to begin the study of vertebrate development. In the following pages an attempt is made to bring together the most important results of studies of the development of the frog’s egg. ‘I have attempted to give a continuous account of the development, as far as that is possible, from the time when the egg is forming to the moment when the young tad- pole issues from the jelly-membranes. Especial weight has been laid on the results of experimental work, in the belief that the evidence from this source is the most instructive for an interpretation of the development. ‘The evidence from the study of the normal development has, however, not been neg- lected, and wherever it has been possible I have attempted to combine the results of experiment and of observation, with the hope of more fully elucidating the changes that take place. Occasionally departures have been made from the immediate subject in hand in order to consider the results of other work having a close bearing on the problem under discussion. I have done this in the hope of pointing out more definite con- clusions than could be drawn from the evidence of the frog’s ege alone. In treating the general problems of development, I have tried ‘e keep as near to the evidence as possible. I have intention- , Vv vi PREFACE ally avoided at times the discussion of the more theoretical problems arising from the experiment, for it seems to me that such discussions are out of place in a volume of this sort. Only the early stages of the development have been considered, because almost all of the experimental work on the frog’s egg has been done on the early stages, and also because I am more familiar with the development and with the experiments of this period. Moreover, the later stages have been recently most admirably described by Marshall in his Vertebrate Embryology. A few words of personal explanation may be added. For several years I have been collecting the material for the present volume, but as the literature is so extensive and as I have had other work to do first, I made but slow progress. In the summer of 1893 I set seriously to work, and owe much to the admirable facilities offered by the University of Berlin. I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to Geheimrath Professor Fr. E. Schulze for many privileges and kindnesses extended to me in Berlin. The work was continued irregu- larly during the winter of 1893-1894 while enjoying the oppor- tunities of the Stazione Zoologica in Naples. During the winter of 1894-1895 the material was brought together and in the summer of 1896 at Ziirich the manuscript was almost com- pleted. I gladly take this opportunity to thank Professor Arnold Lang for many courtesies extended to me during two visits to Ziirich. Dr. Driesch has most kindly looked over some of the chapters, and has made many valuable sugges- tions. Dr. H. H. Field has also examined a part of the manuscript and helped me in several directions. ‘To Professor E. B. Wilson I am under heavy obligations, and owe much to his valuable suggestions and corrections. To Dr. H. Randolph I owe a debt of gratitude for kindly advice and criticism. I am also greatly indebted to Professor Joseph W. Warren and to Professor E. A. Andrews for advice in con- nection with the revision of the proof. - % ee CONTENTS INTRODUCTION : - ; 3 , ; : . ‘ . CHAPTER I THE FORMATION OF THE SEX-CELLS Spermatogenesis. “Direct” Division of the Germ-cells. Oodgenesis. Comparison of Spermatogenesis with Odgenesis. CHAPTER II PoLAR Bopiges AND FERTILIZATION Extrusion of the First Polar Body and avian. The Jelly of the Egg, and the Second Polar Body. Entrance of Spermatozoon and Copulation of Pronuclei. CHAPTER III EXPERIMENTS IN CROSS-FERTILIZATION ‘ . ; Experiments of Pfliiger and of Born on Poey Eggs. Experiments on Other Forms. Experiments of Rauber and of Boveri. CHAPTER IV CLEAVAGE OF THE EGG Normal Cleavage. Correspondence of the First Cleavage-plane and the Median-plane of the Embryo. Roux’s Experiments with Oil-drops. Historical Account of the Cleavage of the Frog’s Egg. vii PAGE 15 26 32 Vili CONTENTS CHAPTER V PAGE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO . ‘ : ; ° - a The Blastopore. External Changes after the Closure of the Blastopore. CHAPTER VI ForMATION OF THE GERM-LAYERS. ; ; ; é ‘ . Ce His’s Experiments with Elastic Plates. The Formation of the Embryo by Concrescence. The Formation of the Archenteron. The Overgrowth of the Blastoporic Rim. The Origin of the Mesoderm. Different Accounts of the Origin of the Archenteron and Meso- derm. Later Development of the Mesoderm and Origin of the Notochord. CHAPTER VII THE PRODUCTION OF ABNORMAL EMBRYOS WITH SprnA BiripA . 75 CHAPTER VIII PFLUGER’S EXPERIMENTS ON THE FROG’s EGG . ; : - ee The Effect of Gravity on the Direction of the piiawaae The Relation of the Planes of Cleavage to the Axes of the Embryo. Conclusions from the Experiments. CHAPTER IX EXPERIMENTS OF BorN AND OF Roux : 90 Changes that take Place in the Interior of the Bee after Retake The Cleavage of the Egg in a Centrifugal Machine. CHAPTER X MODIFICATION OF CLEAVAGE BY COMPRESSION OF THE EGG . . 95 Effect of Compressing the Segmenting Egg between Parallel Plates. Conclusions from the Experiments. The Distribution of the Nuclei in the Compressed Egg. CONTENTS ine CHAPTER XI PAGE Tue Errect or INJURING ONE OF THE First Two BLASTOMERES 106 Roux’s Experiment of “ Killing” One of the First Two Blasto- meres. Further Experiments by Others (Hertwig, Endres and Walter, Schultze, Wetzel, Morgan). CHAPTER XII INTERPRETATIONS OF THE EXPERIMENTS; AND CONCLUSIONS . Me Roux’s Mosaic Theory of Development. Theory of Driesch and of Hertwig of the Equivalency of the Early Blastomeres. Rouwx’s Subsidiary Hypothesis. Experiments on Other Forms. General Conclusions. . CHAPTER XIII ORGANS FROM THE ENDODERM . . . 137 The Closure of the Blastopore, and the For mation of the Ne euren- teric Canal. The Digestive Tract and the Gill-slits. CHAPTER XIV ORGANS FROM THE Mesoperm . . . -.- ~. ~« «+ « 146 The Mesodermic Somites. The Heart and Blood-vessels. The Pronephros. CHAPTER XV ORGANS FROM THE ECTODERM . ; ; ‘ . ; : . 159 The Central Nervous System. The Eyes. The Ears. The Nerves. The Appearance of Cilia on the Surface of the Embryo. 3 \ Errects oF TEMPERATURE AND OF LIGHT ON APPENDIX . LITERATURE INDEX . INTRODUCTION THE eggs of most of our species of frogs are laid in the spring. In some cases they are set free almost immediately on the emergence of the frogs from their winter sleep; in other eases the eggs are not laid until some weeks or even months after the frogs have awakened. In almost every instance the eggs are deposited in water and usually in quiet pools or ponds, or in protected bays along streams where the water has backed up and has come to rest. Sometimes the bunches of eggs are stuck to sticks, grass, submerged sedge, or even to stones; in other cases the bunches are not fastened. The copulation precedes and lasts through the laying-period ; a single male fertilizing all the eggs laid by one female. The sperm pours out of the cloaca of the male at the moment when the eggs pass out of the female. Both the male and the female sexual products, the eggs and spermatozoa, are ripened during the summer and autumn of the year preceding the deposition of the eggs, —at least this is the more usual process. The origin of these sexual cells must first be studied in order to more fully understand their relation to each other, and the part they play in the subsequent development. xi DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG a> -Fe CHAPTER I THE FORMATION OF THE SEX-CELLS Ee ee ee ————_—— — ‘ Lo Fi a ee P oy ae . ms ca ae ee call it” Fe Say formed into spermatozoa. SPERMATOGENESIS THE development of the sex-cells is generally divided into three periods: 1) a multiplication-period, during which the primitive germ-cells pass through a large number of divisions ; 2) a growth-period, in which the primitive germ-cells, that have become reduced in size through repeated division, grow larger; 3) a maturation-period, when only two divisions take place, between which the nucleus does not pass into a resting- stage. At the end of this last division the male germ-cells undergo histological changes by which they become trans- The changes that take place in the testes of the frog have not been so fully worked out as in some other animals; we may therefore follow, first, the method of development of the is as follows : — directly into a spermatozoodn. B 1 1 This is a modification of the terminology of v. la Valette St. George, whose nomenclature of spermatogenesis is still often used. La Valette’s classification The primordial germ-cells give rise to spermatogonia, which cease to divide after a time and increase in size. Each spermatogonium is thus converted into a primary spermatocyte. Each primary spermatocyte divides into two cells, the spermatocytes of the second order, and each of these divides once more, with- out a resting-period, to form two spermatids. In this way four spermatids are formed from each primary spermatocyte. Each spermatid is then changed 9 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. I spermatozo6n in two forms in which the process is better known, and then consider the special case of the frog. The development of the spermatozoa of Gryllotalpa, the mole-cricket, has been described by vom Rath (92, 795). As the process of spermatogenesis is relatively simple in this form, and as it is, according to vom Rath, much like the process that takes place in the frog, we may therefore first briefly consider the changes in Gryllotalpa. First Period. A cell in the resting-stage at this time shows a large nucleus with a distinct membrane enclosing a network of fine chromatin (Fig. 1, A). The beginning of the cleavage is indicated by the withdrawal of the chromatin from the nuclear membrane and the thickening of the fibres of the A B C D Fic. 1.— Division of sperm-mother-cells in Gryllotalpa. (After yom Rath.) chromatic network. The tangled mass of threads, or net- work, then takes a somewhat excentric position. This thread seems to consist of linin, on which chromatin-granules are arranged. Sometimes the thread can be seen to be split along its length into two parts. ‘The halves of the thread remain, however, closely sticking to each other. The double thread then breaks up by cross-division into twelve equal segments, or chromosomes (Fig. 1, B). The chromosomes next become shorter, and finally spherical, and come to le in an equa- torial plate (Fig. 1, C). When the chromatin is still in the skein-stage, two minute bodies are seen in the protoplasm just outside of the nuclear membrane (Fig. 1, B). These are the two centrosomes, which separate more and more from each other, and finally come to lie on opposite sides of the nucleus. A protoplasmic spindle develops between the two centrosomes (Fig. 1, C) and the fibres of the spindle become fixed to the Cu. I] FORMATION OF THE SEX-CELLS 3 chromatin-granules of the equatorial plate. Each of the twelve chromatin-granules divides into two equal parts and the halves migrate toward one or the other of the centrosomes (Fig. 1, D). The cell-protoplasm next divides into two parts, so that two new cells are formed. Lach cell contains twelve chromosomes. In this way the primitive sperm-cells continue to increase in number by a series of. cell-divisions, all like that just described. { - Seetes Ne i Fic. 2.—The formation of spermatozoa in Gryllotalpa. The two maturation-divi- sions. (After vom Rath.) Second Period. A period of rest then follows, during which the cells grow larger. During this time the chromatin is again arranged in a fine network. Third Period. Two successive and most peculiar cell- divisions now take place. The chromatin-network becomes thicker, and forms a tangled skein of threads (Fig. 2, A, B). 4 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. I 4 Each thread is split longitudinally into two parts. ‘Two cen- trosomes again appear. The chromatin-thread next breaks up into stz bent rods or chromosomes (Fig. 2, C). There is some doubt as to the way in which the next change is brought about. The account of vom Rath, which we follow here, seems to be in harmony with the process that is known to take place in some other forms during this period of development of the germ-cells. It appears that the halves of each of the six bent rods begin to separate from each other except at the ends of the rods, where the halves remain united. Each rod is in this way converted into a ring (Fig. 2, D). These rings are often so bent on themselves that they form a loop. The six chromatin-rings lie close to the periphery of the nucleus. The rings contract and become smaller and thicker (Fig. 2, E). This stage lasts but a short time and is succeeded by a stage shown in Fig. 2, F, G. Out of each ring four star-like granules _are formed, the tetrad or “ Vierer-gruppe.” The four granules of each set are closely held together by clear linin threads. If each granule be counted as a distinct chromosome, then there are present at this time six groups of four chromosomes each, or twenty-four chromosomes. ‘These twenty-four chromosomes be- come attached to the fibres of the achromatic spindle (Fig. 2, H) and arrange themselves into an equatorial double plate. ‘Then twelve of these granules united in pairs wander toward one pole of the cell and twelve toward the other pole, and the division of the cell takes place (Fig. 2, 1). This process is spoken of as the first maturation-division. Without passing into a resting- stage, a second division of each cell follows (Fig. 2, J). A new karyokinetic spindle is formed and the twelve chromosomes are separated into two plates of six chromosomes each, which go to their respective poles. Each of the two new cells con- tains therefore only six chromosomes (Fig. 2, kK). The number of chromosomes is now reduced to half the normal number present in the other cells of the body of the animal. Each of the four cells formed by these two consecutive divisions of the sperm-mother-cell then differentiates into a spermatozo6n (Fig. 2, L). Each spermatozoén consists of three parts,—a head, a middle piece, and a tail. The head is formed almost entirely out of the nucleus of the parent-cell of the spermatozoon, as SS ee a .. a Cu. 1] FORMATION OF THE SEX-CELLS 5 seen in Fig. 7, A, B, C. It is probable that a very thin layer of cytoplasm covers the outer surface of the head. The chro- matin is densely packed into the head-piece, and cannot be resolved into its component chromosomes. The middle piece lies just back of the head.!. In some animals this middle piece is known to enter the egg with the spermatozoén and a part of it becomes the centrosome, which then divides into two centro- somes and around these arise the achromatic rays of the dividing ego. The tail of the spermatozodn is generally described as coming from the cytoplasm of the cell. The development of the spermatozodn in the salamander has been carefully studied by Flemming (’87), vom Rath (93), Meves (96), and others. There are certain remark- able processes that take place in the spermatogenesis of these Amphibia that seem to occur also in the frog, but as they have not been as carefully worked out in the latter form we may examine first the changes that take place in the sala- mander. Each year after the male has lost its supply of sperm, new spermatozoa. begin to develop. The epithelial cells lining the cavities of the testes divide at first after a type of cleavage called, by Flemming, homeotypic. This first period of activity produces the first generation of spermato- cytes, which divide according to another type, the heterotypic. The cells of the second generation of spermatocytes also di- vide in the same way, but with an occasional homeeotypic cleav- age. Finally, in the third generation of spermatocytes, both types of cleavage occur. The products of the third generation transform directly into spermatozoa. In the heterotypic division the process is as follows. The chromatin is at first arranged in a thick thread, having a definite arrangement. ‘The skein-stage follows, and a longitudinal splitting of the chromatin-thread is apparent. A thickening of the thread then takes place, and it breaks up into twelve chromosomes (only half the number present in other cells of the body). (Fig. 8, A, B). At the free ends of the bent chromosomes, each of which is split longitudi- nally, the halves fuse together (Fig. 8, B), but elsewhere the 1Tts origin in the frog has not been definitely made out. It is probably cytoplasmic in origin (Fig. 7, A, B, C). 6 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. 1 halves of the chromosomes separate from each other along the longitudinal line of division. The process is similar to the ring- formation of Gryllotalpa. In this way twelve loops are formed from the twelve chromosomes. ‘The bent ends of the new loops or rings correspond to the middle portions of the earlier rods or chromosomes (see the + and — signs in Fig. 8, A, C). Mean- while the achromatic spindle between the centrosomes has devel- oped, and the loops of chromatin are arranged on the threads of the spindle, as seen in Fig. 8, B. At the next stage each loop D Fia. 3.— Heterotypic type of nuclear division in Salamandra. (After Flemming.) breaks at the equator, z.e. at the point where the ends of the rods fused at an earlier period, and begins to migrate toward its centrosome (Fig 8, D). While this migration of the twelve bent chromosomes is taking place, each chromosome may be seen again to split longitudinally, although the two halves remain in contact (Fig. 3, E). The cell then passes into a resting-stage. In the homeotypic division the first phase, the spireme, is simi- Cu. 1] FORMATION OF THE SEX-CELLS rf lar to the last, z.e. it is a skein (Fig. 4, A) with longitudinally split thread. ‘Twelve bent rods appear and become shorter than the bent rods of the heterotypic type. These rods then arrange themselves about the middle of the achromatic spindle (Fig. 4,B). The twelve bent rods divide each into two by separa- tion along a longitudinal line, and twenty-four rods are present. Immediately twelve of these migrate toward one pole, and twelve toward the other, and the cell-division follows (Fig. 4, C, D, E, F). The cells then come to rest. D E Fic. 4. —Homeeotypic type of nuclear division in Salamandra. (After Flemming.) The end result in the two types of cleavage is the same, but the details are, as described, different. It is important to note that the number of chromosomes is half that of the number of chromosomes in the other cells of the body. Vom Rath maintains that a fourth generation of cells appears in the development of the spermatozoa of the salamander. Flem- ming supposed that at the end of the third generation of cells, described above, the differentiation into spermatozoa began, but 8 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. I vom Rath has found that at the end of the third generation large cells appear with huge nuclei (Fig. 5, B), in which there are twelve groups of chromosomes. Each group or tetrad is composed of four granules. There are, therefore, present forty- eight spherical chromosomes united in groups of four. ‘These tetrads arose from a heterotypic spindle, and in the following way. oe point of the surface of the egg. This protrusion of protoplasm a with its enclosed half of the nucleus gradually pinches off from the surface of the egg, and there is thus formed the first polar | body (Fig. 11, B). The egg gets a thin layer of gelatinous — = Cn. IT] POLAR BODIES AND FERTILIZATION 19 substance around it soon after entering the oviduct, 7.e. before it has reached the first part of the convoluted portion. This is the so-called chorion, —a thin investing membrane which ad- heres closely to the vitelline layer around the egg. During the remainder of the passage through the oviducal tube the egg gets two other distinct gelatinous layers (Fig. 10). The middle layer of the three is, according to Newport, a watery layer of considerable thickness. The outer gelatinous covering is also thick and serves to stick the eggs together in a bunch, and even to stick the bunches of eggs, when laid, to surrounding objects. The spawning of certain species of frogs takes place very rap- idly, and by a single effort. Newport says that the process takes place in a few seconds or less than a minute, and that all the eggs that have accumulated in the uteri are laid at once. When laid, the egg-cluster forms a rounded mass which is, at first, scarcely as large as a walnut. The eggs then seem to con- sist almost entirely of dark-colored “yelks” with thin gelatinous envelopes. ‘Up to about this period the ova remain undisturbed in the water in a mass as they are expelled, and lie indiscrimi- nately, some with the dark and some with the white portion of the yelk uppermost or horizontal. But during the time that has passed since the ova have been in contact with the water, the envelopes have imbibed fluid and expanded until these in- vestments of the yelk have a thickness equal to about two- thirds of the diameter of the yelk itself.” “The yelks, that have remained up to this time with their white surface uppermost, now change their position spontane- ously by a partial rotation of the whole mass of each on its axis, within the vitelline membrane, until the dark surface of the whole is placed uppermost. Whether this change of posi- tion is merely the result of expansion of the vitelline membrane at this period, or whether it be also connected, as we may fairly believe, with changes going on in the interior of the yelk, I am not prepared to decide.” THE JELLY OF THE EGG, AND THE SECOND PoLAR Bopy The jelly around the frog’s egg serves, no doubt, as a pro- tection to the egg. The soft eggs are kept in spherical shape Seal 20 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. IT and protected from injury from without. The slime protects — them from water-snails that will eat the eggs if they are shelled ~ out from the jelly. ‘The jelly may also protect them against ~ water-birds. The eggs and young tadpoles seem, however, in — themselves to be distasteful to certain crustacea (Bernard and — Bratuschek, *91). 3 This jelly has the physical peculiarity of allowing the sun’s rays to pass through, but hinders reflection of the rays from the interior to the outside. The result is that in the sunlight the mass of eggs is at a higher temperature than the surround- ing water, and as the eggs of many frogs are laid in the early spring, when the water is quite cool, this property of the jelly helps to hasten their development. Hertwig (77) thought that a change takes place in the inte- _rior of the egg after fertilization, so that a difference in the specific gravity of different parts of the egg is brought about. Schultze (87), however, pointed out that at this period the egg contracts slightly from its vitelline membrane, and between the egg and its membrane a fluid collects, that is probably squeezed out of the egg itself. The egg, freed from its inner- most coat which held it in place, then rapidly orients itself with respect to gravity. Unfertilized eggs will also, after a time, slowly rotate, and in these it can be seen that the separation of the egg from its membrane is less perfect than in fertilized eggs. “At the moment when the ovum is expelled from the body, the envelope is merely a thin gelatinous layer, its entire diameter being equal only to about one-sixth of the diameter of the yelk. After it has been one minute in water, and begun to imbibe and expand, it is then equal to about one-fourth of the diameter of the yelk. At the end of two minutes it is en- larged to one-third, and in three minutes, to one-half the diame- ter of this body. In four minutes, it exceeds three-fifths, and in six minutes, two-thirds, and it continues to imbibe fluid and expand at the same rate, until, at from ten to fifteen minutes, it very nearly equals in thickness the whole diameter of the yelk; and at half an hour it is one-fourth greater than this. At the end of three hours the membranes have acquired nearly their full size.” “The expansion of the envelope is greatly retarded at the ‘ Cu. I] POLAR BODIES AND FERTILIZATION 8 | end of the third or fourth hour, until after cleavage of the yelk has taken place, when it again proceeds, but much more slowly than at first.” ! In Rana fusca the extrusion of the second polar body takes place one half-hour after fertilization, and the process can be seen under a low magnifying glass or even with the naked eye. A whitish speck appears in the black hemisphere near the point at which the first polar body was extruded. It is necessary, however, to make sections of the egg to discover the further changes that are taking place. Schultze (87) has given a careful description of the process. The nucleus that remains in the egg after the extrusion of the first polar body assumes once more a horizontal position, but does not go into a resting-stage (Vig. 11, B), ¢.e. the chromatic loops or threads do not re-fuse into a network nor does a nuclear membrane form. ‘The chromatin arranges itself on a new spindle. The latter then assumes a more or less radial position, and the second polar body is extruded half an hour after the egg is laid. It is probable that the second polar body is not ex- truded under normal conditions until after a spermatozoén has entered the egg. One and a half hours after the egg is laid, another change may be seen taking place. Near to or at the apex of the black pole the egg is seen to flatten, and an accumulation of fluid is found here between the egg and its vitelline membrane (Fig. 10). At or near the centre of this flattened portion one may see the fovea, and near or in it the polar bodies appear on the flattened disc. This chamber formed between the flattened ego and the inner membrane was seen by Newport and called the “respiratory chamber.” It may ultimately be as large as one-sixth the diameter of the whole egg. Schultze points out that it lies somewhat excentrically with respect to the egg-axis (Fig. 10). The clear fluid in this chamber has been supposed to be the watery contents of the original large nucleus of the egg, which has been squeezed out of the egg. Very little evidence has as yet been given to support this view. Some of the older embryologists thought that this fluid represented 1 Newport (751), p. 193. 99 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. the original egg-nucleus itself, which was squeezed out of the egg at this time. Now, however, since we know the complete history of the nucleus during this period, the suggestion of its entire loss by the egg does not call for serious criticism. ENTRANCE OF SPERMATOZOON AND COPULATION OF PRONUCLEI The sperm of the male is poured out into the water, and probably over the eggs themselves at the moment when they are laid, and the spermatozoa begin at once to bore into the jelly of the egg-mass (Fig. 10). Kupffer has described the entrance of the spermatozoén into the eggs of Bufo variabilis. When the head of a spermatozoén touches the egg-membrane, the protoplasm of the egg draws back slightly at the point of contact, but quickly returns again to its first position. The period of penetration of the sperma- tozodn from the moment of contact of the sperm-head until the spermatozoon disappears into the egg, lasts in some cases from one to one and a half minutes, in other cases only three-fourths — of a minute. Several spermatozoa were observed by Kupffer — to enter each egg. Other spermatozoa reach the egg-membrane, but do not seem to be able to enter the egg. In the regions where these sper- matozoa lie, the surface of the egg rises up in small protuber- ances. ‘This process occurs about fifteen minutes after the first spermatozoa have entered, and lasts about one or two minutes, after which the protuberances sink back into the egg. The spermatozoa in the regions of the protuberances are left outside the egg-membrane. ‘This peculiar phenomenon is described by Kupffer as a counter demonstration of the egg against those spermatozoa that have not been able to enter. Eggs that have been artificially fertilized show, when cut into sections, that one hour after fertilization a dark pigmented streak is formed, reaching from the pigmented coating of the egg into the yolk- mass. ‘The process takes place in the upper or dark hemi- sphere, and regularly at one side of the centre of the dark field near to the edge of the white border. The streak takes a somewhat oblique course toward the centre of the egg. At Ce Te 2. Ks — Cu. IT] POLAR BODIES AND FERTILIZATION 93 fond the central end the dark streak is rounded, and encloses a clear spot. _In this clear region one sees a distinct pronucleus about nine microns (wz) in diameter. Eggs one and a half hours after fertilization show that the pigmented streak has penetrated deeper into the egg, and in the frog the male pronucleus has enlarged to 32 by 22 w (Fig. 11, D, for the toad). At this stage another nucleus is present in the frog’s egg, and this lies not far from the end of the pigmented streak (Fig. 11, D). This measures 22 yp, and has the same structure as the male nucleus. ‘These two nuclei are undoubtedly the male and female pronuclei. We now know that the female pronucleus has come directly from the original egg-nucleus, which has, after extruding its two polar bodies, penetrated once more deeper into the egg. The complete history has not been traced in the frog, but there can be no reasonable doubt as to what takes place. In the newt (and in the toad) the history has been followed, and it is found that the female pro- nucleus arises from the ege-nucleus after the extrusion of the polar bodies. In the next half-hour Hertwig has found that the nuclei approach more nearly to each other, and the pigment-streak penetrates deeper into the egg, the swollen end enlarges, and the two large oval male and female pronuclei are then found together in the swollen end of the streak (Fig. 11, E). In a preparation of an older stage both nuclei have increased in volume to 35 mw, and have flattened against each other. They then fuse into one nucleus which measures 44 uw (Fig. 11, F, toad). The resulting nucleus, the segmentation-nucleus, is surrounded by clear protoplasm and then by a pigment-coat. From the segmentation-nucleus a streak of pigment extends to the dark surface of the egg and marks the path of entrance of the Sspermatozoon. All preparations after two and a half hours showed the union of the two pronuclei. If the jelly be examined after the eggs have been laid, several or many spermatozoa can be seen boring their way through the jelly toward the egg. Some will have reached the inner layers, and still others lie in the outer coats (Fig. 10). It is probable that after one spermatozoén has succeeded O4 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. 1 in forcing its way through the inner coat and into the egg, changes then take place in the egg that prevent or make difficult the further entrance of other spermatozoa. ‘The con- traction of the egg, noted above, may possibly have something to do with the process. If, however, two or more sper- matozoa should reach the surface of the egg at about the same moment, it is not improbable that more than one might enter.!_ Both may then pass toward the female pronucleus, but in the frog it is probable that after one male pronucleus has fused with the female pronucleus, the further progress of other male pronuclei that happen to get into the egg is stopped. It is sometimes said that the female pronucleus attracts the male pronucleus, but the approach of the two may be due to changes in the protoplasm; for the migration of the pronuclei through the egg is probably in most cases brought about by the protoplasm of the egg under the influence of the pronuclei, and the pronuclei themselves are merely passively carried along. : In the newt (Jordan, 93) it seems to be usual for more than | one spermatozodn to enter, but only one of these fuses with the female pronucleus. ‘The others subsequently degenerate and go to pieces. In the eggs of other animals, as the starfish, polyspermy, or the entrance of more than one spermatozoén into the egg, brings about disastrous results, causing irregular division of the nucleus and subsequent irregularities in the segmentation of the egg. In these eggs the field of action is small, and the male pronuclei or their centrosomes mutually influence one another and the female pronucleus. In large eggs with much yolk, such as those of the Amphibia and of the Sauropsida, the spermatozoa may be too far apart to affect one another or the segmentation-nucleus, and after the fusion of one male pronucleus with the female the movement of the other male pronuclei towards the female pronucleus seems to stop. The head of the spermatozoén enters the egg to become the male pronucleus. The tail of the spermatozodn is left at the 1It is probable that Kupffer’s (’82) account does not apply to eggs under normal conditions. POLAR BODIES AND FERTILIZATION 25 ace of the egg, or if a part enter the egg it takes no share 2 subsequent changes. ‘The middle piece of the sperma- n is now known to contain a body that plays a most con- is part in many animals in the division or cleavage of The middle piece enters with the head of the sper- on. It contains the centrosome, which divides, and id each centre an elaborate system of rays develops. The first cleavage. In the frog the history of the middle and centrosome, and the origin of the segmentation- CHAPTER III EXPERIMENTS IN CROSS-FERTILIZATION A NUMBER of attempts have been made to fertilize the eggs of one species of frog with the spermatozoa of another species. Rusconi experimented in 1840 with the toad ( ¢ ) and the green water-frog, Rana esculenta (2). Lataste in 1878 attempted to cross-fertilize the eggs of different species of urodeles with Pelobates fuscus and P. cultripes. EXPERIMENTS OF PFLUGER AND OF BORN The most extensive and important work is that of Pfluger (82) and of Born (83). These investigators have made a large number of experiments in crossing different races and species of Anura. When the sperm of Rana fusca was placed with the eggs of Bufo vulgaris, the eggs segmented and developed as far as the “morula” stage, and then without exception died. Conversely, when the sperm from B. vulgaris was used with the egos of R. fusca, no result followed, not even the segmentation of the egg (except in one experiment where two eggs out of one hundred divided irregularly). Eggs of R. fusca placed in a water-extract of the testes of R. esculenta remained unfertil- ized. But eggs of R. esculenta placed with the sperm of R. fusca developed regularly, with few exceptions, as far as the blastula stage, and then died. Crossing various species of Tri- tons gave no results. But eggs of Rana fusca were acted upon by the sperm of Triton alpestris and Triton teeniatus, inasmuch as they began to show irregular cleavage-lines. Later they died. ‘The reverse cross gave no result. Rana fusca and Rana arvalis are very similar in appearance, but are apparently separate species. Cross-fertilization was 1 Pfliiger (82). 26 a ore Cu. Il] EXPERIMENTS IN CROSS-FERTILIZATION 27 cae here possible CR. fusca, ¢, R. arvalis, 2). Tadpoles developed from the crossed eggs, and some of these ultimately transformed into frogs. Pfliiger got similar results with the same species, and also found that the reverse cross (R. fusca, ?, and R. arvalis, 3 ) gave no result. Born found that the eggs of Bufo cinereus could readily be fertilized with the sperm of Bufo variabilis. All the eggs segmented regularly, the larvee left the jelly, and developed into frogs. In respect to the closeness of the relation between the species, Born says that we can be quite certain that the two species of Rana arvalis and R. fusca are much more nearly related than the two species of Bufo. The success of cross-fertilizing depends apparently less on the degree of relationship, as shown by the similarity of color and habits, than on the similarity of the male sexual products (Piliger). Although R. fusca and R. arvalis seem to be very closely allied species, they have very different spermatozoa; in fact, the spermatozoa are as different as the spermatozoa of R. fusca and R. esculenta.! The two species of toads (Bufo) have very similar spermatozoa, which differ only in size, but this difference is so slight that, were the two kinds mixed together, one could scarcely distinguish between them. It is apparently owing to the difference in form of the sperma- tozoa of the R. fusca and R. arvalis, and to the similarity of the spermatozoa of B. cinereus and B. variabilis that the results are due. Pfliger has made a large number of reciprocal crosses between different races of R. fusca. “The different races are as fertile inter se as are individuals of the same race.” Pfliiger concluded, after comparing the results of all of his experiments on cross- fertilization, that in general those spermatozoa are most successful for purposes of cross-fertilization that have the,thinnest and most pointed heads. ‘That in general those eggs are most easily fer- tilized that belong to species having spermatozoa with thick heads. The results, then, he thought, depend largely upon me- chanical conditions; for where the head is small and pointed, the spermatozo6n can bore its way more successfully into the eggs 1R. arvalis and R. esculenta have similar sperm. Born and Pfliiger found that the crossed eggs segmented irregularly, and that later the embryos all died. 98 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu I _ of its own and of other species. If the head is large, the sper- matozo6n can force its way only into those eggs that are adapted to spermatozoa with large heads. For instance, the sperma- tozoa of R. fusca have thinner heads than any others, and the head is, moreover, very pointed. These spermatozoa ean fertilize eggs of nearly all other species (Rh. arvalis, R. escu- lenta, B. communis). Conversely, the thick-headed spermatozoa of R. arvalis and the blunt-headed spermatozoa of R. esculenta cannot get into the eggs of R. fusca. The spermatozo6n of B. communis, which has a very pointed but somewhat larger head than that of R. fusca, appears never- theless to be able at times to penetrate the eggs of R. fusca and to fertilize them. That the spermatozoén of Triton can enter the eggs of R. fusca is explained very easily when we remember that the sharp thin head of the Triton spermatozoén is best adapted of all species to penetrate any egg. We see, too, that the thick-headed spermatozoén with a blunt anterior end, such as those of R. arvalis and R. esculenta, cannot fertilize the eggs of any other species. And finally, to confirm the conclusion, we find that these two species, R. arvalis and R. esculenta, which have large-headed spermatozoa, are alone capable of reciprocal crossing. ,Pfliiger believed that the eggs have the greatest capacity for cross-fertilization at the height of the breeding season, and the same statement holds, but in a much less degree, for the spermatozoa. EXPERIMENTS ON OTHER FORMS Hertwig has objected to Pfliiger’s conclusions on the ground that the eggs of the sea-urchin are much more capable of cross- fertilization after they have begun to suffer change either from being kept some time in sea-water, or from the application of drugs. He thought that the frogs kept by Pfliiger had been also under artificial conditions. Further, Hertwig concluded, from his results on sea-urchins, that the possibility of crossing does not depend entirely upon the external conditions, but to a large extent upon some unknown property of the egg. Eggs in good condition are able to prevent the entrance of foreign spermatozoa, but as soon as they begin to lose their irritability, they can no longer resist the entrance. Cu. U1} EXPERIMENTS IN CROSS-FERTILIZATION 29 Born obtained some interesting results as to the relations existing between the number of spermatozoa in a fluid-extract of the testis and the power of the fluid-extract to fertilize eggs. He insists that in some cases there is a necessary connection between the two. It is far from clear how this is possible, and the result may depend on other causes which are introduced along with the solutions employed. Moreover, the further question of polyspermy of such eggs complicates the results. Born believes that many cases of irregular segmentation of crossed eggs are due to the entrance of several or many sper- matozoa into the egg, which act as centres for protoplasmic accumulations. Such a segmentation he calls “ barock’”’ seg- mentation. On the other hand, Pfliger suggests that the irregular cleavage of certain of the crossed eggs is the result of the disintegration of the male pronuclei, so that the chro- matin is scattered, and then acts on the protoplasm, producing an irregular division. Recent results have shown that polyspermy is a normal oc- currence in some amphibian eggs, and, despite the presence of several spermatozoa, normal cleavage and normal embryos result. The changes that take place within the cross-fertilized egos must be more carefully studied before a final decision can be reached in regard to the meaning of some of the experiments described above. We must not confuse two factors that enter into the problem of cross-fertilization. On the one hand, the spermatozoédn may not be able to push through the gelatinous coatings of the egg, or it may not be able to bore through the outer surface of the egg itself, or it might be unable to enter the protoplasm if the latter were entirely free from its coats.1_ On the other hand, even if the spermatozo6én could successfully enter and combine with the female pronucleus, it does not follow that the egg would develop. We now know that so many factors enter into the problem of fertilization of the egg that it is not sur- prising when we find that two pronuclei that have ever so slight differences are not able to carry out the complicated machinery of cell-division and development. 1 As in the case of naked pieces of protoplasm of the egg of species of sea-urchins. 30 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. TE . The eggs of the starfish can be fertilized by the spermatozoa ¥ of the sea-urchin,— forms much more different than any two — ; species, genera, or even families of frogs, and the early stages po of segmentation, and the formation of a swimming blastula and 4 gastrula may be passed through; but the later embryonic devel- s opment is not carried out, and after a time the gastrulas die.! | Hertwig’s experiments (77) on polyspermy in the eggs of echinoderms show that when several spermatozoa enter the — same egg a karyokinetic spindle is formed around each of the resulting male pronuclei and many or all of the pronuclei divide. Often the spindles are so near together that they mutually influence one another and most complicated karyo- kinetic figures result. Subsequently the protoplasm breaks up _ around the pronuclei in a most irregular way, and generally — such eggs do not give rise to even the earliest stages of devel- opment. ‘The phenomenon is so similar to the “ barock” seg- a mentation of the frog’s egg that it seems possible that in the latter the result is brought about in the same way as in the echinoderms. EXPERIMENTS OF RAUBER AND OF BOVERI Rauber, in 1886, tried to carry out the following interesting - experiment. The segmentation-nucleus of a frog’s egg, one 4 hour after fertilization, was removed by means of a fine pipette. — The same process was carried out with a toad’s egg. The nucleus of the toad’s egg was then placed in the frog’s egg that had had its nucleus removed, and the nucleus of the frog’s egg was placed in the toad’s egg. Unfortunately, neither egg developed. ‘The results of such an experiment would be of the greatest importance if the experiment could be successfully carried out; for in this way we should hope to discover whether the characters of the embryo come from the nucleus or from the protoplasm of the egg. Boveri, in 1889, made somewhat similar experiments with the egg of the sea-urchin. When the eggs are shaken in a small tube, they are broken into fragments, some with nuclei and others without. When a sufficiently large non-nucleated 1 Morgan, ’93, Anat. Anzeiger. ' Cu. TIT] EXPERIMENTS IN CROSS-FERTILIZATION 31 : ' fragment is penetrated by one spermatozoén, the fragment develops. Such a fragment contains only half the number of chromosomes of the normal fertilized egg.! Boveri isolated some of these fragments, and said that they give rise to small embryos normal in structure. Boveri stated, further, that if a non-nucleated fragment of the egg of one species of sea-urchin is entered by one spermatozo6n of another species, the result-' ing larva is like the larva of the father (¢.e. it is like the larva of the individual from which the spermatozodn comes). If this result should prove true,? it would show that the nucleus and not the protoplasm determines the character of the larva. 1 Morgan, ’°95, Anat. Anzeiger. 2 Seeliger (95) and myself (’95) have repeated Boveri’s experiment and have tried to show that the evidence on which Boveri based his conclusion in regard to the paternal character of the crossed larva is insufficient. CHAPTER IV CLEAVAGE OF THE EGG WHEN the egg comes to rest in its membranes after fertiliza~ a tion has taken place, it will be found that the egg-axis assumes an oblique position with respect to the vertical. The degree of obliquity may be different for the eggs of different species of frogs, but in some species it is carried so far that, when the egg is looked at from above, a crescent of the white hemisphere can be seen on one side of the egg. Roux has stated that the _ declination of the egg-axis takes place only after the entrance \ of the spermatozoén, and toward that side into which the sper- — matozoén has penetrated.1 He was able to determine this by ~ artificially fertilizing the egg at definite points. By means of — a small pipette, water containing spermatozoa was brought in ' contact with the jelly somewhere near the upper hemisphere of © a an egg. Presumably the spermatozo6n will then take the short- est path to the egg. Roux found that the egg after atime gen- erally rotated on its axis toward the point at which the artic 7 fertilization was supposed to have taken place. a NoRMAL CLEAVAGE The first furrow appears on the egg about two and one half 4 to three hours after fertilization, the time depending in part on _the temperature of the water. A rather wide furrow appears _ oa in the flattened area near the black pole, and rapidly extends over the upper surface of the egg, and then moves more slowly over the lower or white surface. The sides of the furrow are often wrinkled, probably a mechanical result of the 1 Roux believes the obliquity to be a usual phenomenon after fertilization for some species; in others the obliquity is only occasionally seen. Schultze finds it to be as much as forty-five degrees in Rana fusca. 32 Cx. IV] CLEAVAGE OF THE EGG 33 infolding of the outer harder crust of the egg. These wrinkles are best seen in the upper hemisphere; subsequently they dis- appear. It will be found on cutting in two an egg in the process of cleavage that the furrow is also extending through i G | H Fic. 12.—Segmentation of egg and formation of blastopore (H, I). A. Eight-cell stage. B. Beginning of sixteen-cell stage. C. Thirty-two-cell stage. D. Forty- eight-cell stage (unusually regular). E, F. Two sides of same egg in later cleavage. G. Still later cleavage. H. Dorsal lip of blastopore. I. Circular blastopore (with lower pole toward observer). the protoplasm of the egg, z.e. dividing the contents into two parts. When the superficial furrow has encircled the egg, the substance also has been divided. D 34 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cn. TV stages in the process of cleavage, we should see that prior to the division of each blastomere the nucleus had divided into two parts. This takes place by the ordinary process of indirect ae Fic. 13.— Segmentation of egg (two, eight, sixteen, and thirty-two cell stages, after M. Schultze), as seen from above. A. Two-cell stage; beginning of second fur- rows. B. .Eight-cell stage, with cross-furrow. C, D, F, G. Sixteen-cell stages. E. Eight-cell stage (regular type). H. Thirty-two-cell stage. or karyokinetic division. Half of the chromatin passes to one | : pole of the nuclear spindle, and the other half to the other pole. As the spindle elongates, it carries with it the surrounding pig- 4 If a series of sections be made through the egg at different — Cu. IV] CLEAVAGE OF THE EGG 35 ment. ‘The first cleavage-plane always passes directly between the separating halves of the segmentation-nucleus. There is an infinite number of possible planes through which the first cleavage might divide the egg into equal portions. What, then, determines the particular plane taken? We can think of this plane as determined by external conditions, or by the internal structure of the egg, or by a combination of the two. In the first place, it seems probable that at the first division of the segmentation-nucleus each resulting halt will get half of the chromatin of the male and half of the chro- matin of the female pronucleus. The first plane of division must therefore pass at right angles to the plane of apposition of the two pronuclei. That is to say, it will also pass through the path of penetration of the spermatozodn (the male pronucleus), and therefore approximately through the point at which the spermatozoon has entered. ‘This, according to Roux, is what actually takes place. Moreover, since the egg has rotated as a whole in the direction of the point of entrance of the sperma- tozoon, the first cleavage will pass exactly through the highest point of the white crescent, as seen from above. On the other hand, there is no direct evidence to show that the two apposed pronuclei retain throughout subsequent changes the position of first apposition, and there is much to show that in the frog’s egg, as well as in other eggs, the divid- ing nucleus, or the direction of its spindle, is very susceptible to modifications in the surrounding conditions. There is also some evidence to show that the declination of the axis of the frog’s egg is not necessarily determined by the entrance of the spermatozoén, but by the arrangement of the internal constituents of the egg itself. If, therefore, it could be shown that the declination is present in unfertilized eggs, and that in fertilized eggs the plane of first cleavage passes more or less through the highest point of the white crescent, then we should conclude that the plane of first cleavage is pre- arranged in the egg. It would follow as a corollary that the nuclear spindle orients itself with respect to the egg. There is direct evidence to show that in the newt some such process as this does take place. Jordan (93) has shown that the spermatozo6n may enter at any point of the surface of the 36 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. IV , upper hemisphere, yet the plane of first division is always across the long axis of the egg. Hence, it is fair to assume that the segmentation-spindle does so orient. itself after the fusion of the male and female pronuclei that half of the male and half of the female chromatin are carried apart in the direction of the long axis of the egg, whatever may have been at first the position of apposition of the two pronuclei. I have dwelt on this point at some length because it is one of great importance for our understanding of the relation between egg and embryo; and because it is much to be desired that the present state of doubt should be cleared away. After the protoplasm has divided into two equal parts, the egg “rests”? foratime. During the division-period the hemispheres or blastomeres round up to some extent; but as soon as the division is completed they flatten against each other, so that the cleavage-plane is not so distinctly seen on the surface of the egg. The same process of flattening generally takes place also when the dividing egg is brought into preserving fluids. During the time of division we may speak of each blastomere as tending to become itself a sphere, but, owing to the lack of room, the rounding of the two parts is very imperfect. In other egos (e.g. the eggs of the sea-urchin), where it is possible to remove the egg-membranes, it has been found that then each of the blastomeres approaches more nearly the spherical form, or even becomes a complete sphere. We see from this that the external conditions may at least modify the form of cleavage of the egg. It is sometimes said that during the division the two new parts or blastomeres tend to repel each other until after the division is completed, and to attract each other after the divi- sion is finished. Such astatement is, however, of little value, and may convey an entirely wrong impression of the changes taking place. One thing seems to be certain, that during the division of the egg the spheres or cells have an influence on one another. Whether unseen protoplasmic connections weld them together, or whether it is merely a question of contact action, has not yet been fully determined.? 1 See Roux’s experiments on cytotaxis (96). ies ee Eee Se 4 = > > - Cx. IV] CLEAVAGE OF THE EGG 37 The nucleus of each blastomere during the resting-period undergoes a series of changes, the so-called reconstructive pro- cess taking place. The chromatin-granules or chromosomes are again surrounded by a nuclear membrane, and the granules fuse into a thread or network. At the next division of the egg the nuclear chromatin is again set free in the protoplasm ‘by the absorption of the nuclear membrane. is somewhat thicker than before, and the cells are more closely packed together. The ectoderm over the surface of the embryo consists of an outer layer and of several inner layers of cells. The cavity of the archenteron has opened out and is very large. Cu. VI] FORMATION OF THE GERM-LAYERS 73 As before, its ventral wall is composed of larger and yolk-bear- ing cells. Above and laterally the walls are formed of smaller cells. ‘The latter have now arranged themselves in a definite layer, and have become somewhat flattened (Fig. 26, B, C, D). This layer is also sharply separated from the mesoderm. The mesoderm, as compared with its previous condition, has under- gone important changes. It has extended further ventrally, and has met from the right and left sides in the mid-ventral line along most of the ventral surface. Over the dorsal and dorso- lateral walls of the archenteron it forms a thinner layer of cells than in the earlier embryo (Fig. 25, B). There is still a ventral region of the embryo where the ecto- derm and the yolk-cells are in contact, z.e. a region into which the mesoderm has not extended (Fig. 26, C). The medullary plate is seen in cross-section. It will be noticed that the plate is much thinner in the mid-dorsal line than at the sides. On each side the medullary plates show a differentiation into two parts. The most lateral and ventral edge of the plate is formed of cells less closely held together than those nearer the mid- dorsal line. ‘This mass of rounded cells is the beginning of the neural crest. The mesoderm in the mid-dorsal line is thickened in the —~ posterior sections. According to some writers, this median mesoderm has always up to this time remained closely fused with _ the layer of endoderm beneath it. It marks the beginning of the notochord. The formation of the notochord takes place from behind forwards, so that in the same embryo different stages of its development may be found (Fig. 26, D, E). The account given above of the formation of the notochord is not generally accepted, particularly since the formation of the notochord from the endoderm is the method followed by many, perhaps by all other vertebrates. ‘That a median mass of tissue stretches at first across the dorsal median wall of the archenteron in the frog cannot be denied, but many embryolo- gists have preferred an interpretation different from that which I have followed. It is affirmed that there is always a closer con- nection between the endoderm and the tissue lying above it in the dorsal median line than between the endoderm on each side of 74 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. VI the mid-dorsal line and the mesoderm. Further, it is said, that the cord of cells in the median dorsal line remains for a longer time connected with the mid-dorsal endoderm than does the mesoderm at each side with the lateral endoderm, and that the notochord separates from its lateral connections (right and left) with the mesoderm, while it still remains for a time closely fused in the mid-line with the endoderm. In the newt and in other urodeles the endoderm in the mid- dorsal line thickens and bends upward to form a longitudinal fold. The fold pinches off from the endoderm and forms a cord of cells, —the notochord. In the posterior end of the toad’s notochord the same method of development may be seen some- times to take place. With such clear evidence of the method of formation of the notochord from endoderm in the newt, it is not surprising that embryologists have attempted to interpret the changes that take place in the frog in the same way. The main difficulty arises from an unwillingness on their part to derive the noto- — chord from the so-called middle germ-layer, or mesoderm. The — question therefore turns, for them, on what they will call the middle layer in the frog, and what not the middle layer. | Since, however, all the cells in this region have had a common . origin, the question is perhaps a trivial one; for we cannot doubt, I think, that had some of the cells in the middle line passed a _ little to one side or the other of the median line, they would have been capable of becoming mesoderm, and, vice versa, had some of the lateral cells come to lie nearer to the middle line, then they would have taken part in the formation of the notochord. ; The notochord separates entirely from the mesoderm and endoderm, and becomes rounded in cross-section. On each side of the notochord the mesoderm becomes thicker, as is shown in Fig. 42. The final stage in the closure of the med- ullary folds and the changes that take place in the mesoderm will be described in a later chapter. 1 Field (’95). oe \ a 4 ee? ri ip ne eee CHAPTER VII THE PRODUCTION OF ABNORMAL EMBRYOS WITH SPINA BIFIDA Empryos of the frog are occasionally found that differ greatly from normal embryos. Roux, in 1888, first described one of these embryos and showed that a knowledge of its structure and method of development helped very much tow- ard an understanding of the processes that take place in the A B Fic. 27.—Two embryos formed as rings around equator of egg. A. Seen from in front (produced in salt solution). (Morgan.) B. Seen from side. (After Roux.) normal development. An embryo described by Roux is shown in Fig. 27, B. Around the equator of the egg along the zone between the white and black hemispheres is a thickened ridge. A careful examination shows that this ridge is not uniform in thickness, but is bilateral in form. Each half is somewhat thickened at one end, and resembles half. of the medullary plate of the normal embryo. Cross-sections (Fig. 29, B) show that these ridges around the equator of the egg are the two halves of the medullary plate. Instead, however, of being in close 76 76 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. VII contact, the two half-plates are separated in the middle by the diameter of the egg, but at the anterior and posterior ends the half-plates unite to form the ring. In section, a cord of cells, the notochord, is found beneath each half of the medullary fold; and between the yolk-cells and the ectoderm there is also found a sheet of tissue representing the mesoderm. Hertwig, in 1892, described a large number of these embryos. One is shown in surface view as seen from the white pole, in Fig. 28, A. The embryo is at a later stage of development than that described above. The exposed white yolk, turned toward the observer, A Bo Fic. 28.—Two ‘‘spina-bifida’’ embryos. (After Hertwig.) A. Earlier, B. older stage (different embryos). is surrounded by a groove, and outside of the groove there is a bounding darker ridge. In the anterior portion of the white is seen a crescent-shaped depression. A cross-section through the middle of the body of an embryo similar to the last is shown in Fig. 29, A. The exposed yolk is seen at Y. On each side of this there is a depression, and beyond the depres- sion a thickened ridge composed of ectoderm cells. Each ridge passes over on its outer side into the ectoderm that covers all the lower part of the embryo. Even in their present stage Cu. VIT] PRODUCTION OF ABNORMAL EMBRYOS TT of development the ridges are clearly seen to be the widely separated halves of the medullary plate. Beneath each half of the medullary plate there is a cross-section of the notochord, and between the yolk-cells, in the centre of the section, and the ectoderm covering the lower surface, there is a thick sheet of cells representing the mesoderm. A longitudinal (sagittal) section of the embryo drawn in Fig. 28, A, is shown in Fig. 29, C. ‘The large exposure of yolk- cells (Y) in the upper part of the figure is very conspicuous. A deep and narrow depression, bounded for the most part by a distinct layer of yolk-cells, is found near the anterior end. This depression corresponds to the crescent-shaped opening seen in surface view, and is supposed to correspond to a part of the archenteron of the normal embryo.t Ectoderm covers the lower (ventral) surface of this section, and at one point the cells are thickened to form the adhesive glands of the larva. At the posterior end of the embryo a small depression is pres- ent, and, as later development shows, this corresponds to the posterior portion of the archenteron of a normal embryo. Hertwig found that if male and female frogs of certain species be separated and kept apart for several weeks, and the egos then be artificially fertilized, an abnormal segmentation follows, and, although many of the eggs die, among those that live a large number show this condition of spina bifida. In 1893 I made a series of experiments attempting to pro- duce artificially embryos showing spina bifida, and found that they could be made by two entirely different methods. If the segmented egg, before the blastopore-lips appear, be placed in water to which .6 per cent. of salt (NaCl) has been added, the later development is modified. The dorsal lip of the blasto- pore appears in its normal position but does not continue to extend over the white hemisphere. The corners of ‘the lips gradually extend around the equator of the egg. A sharp line. or depression separates the black and white hemispheres, and on the black side of the depression a circular ridge appears, which marks the beginning of the medullary ring (Fig. 27, A). Similar embryos may also be produced if the dorsal lip of 1 Possibly it represents in part the liver-diverticulum. eB hr DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. VIL appearance, or if the yolk-mass in front of the dorsal lip is ‘4 injured so that the yolk protrudes from the general rounded — surface of the egg. The blastopore is thus prevented from — extending backward, and its material differentiates, in situ, — along the equatorial line. The lateral lips tend to approach+ the middle line and to fuse, but the medullary folds may — appear before the fusion has taken place. ‘There is thus pro- — C, B, = Hod) 7 Ob — cy $} + rast L Ch a a “ELT SS 4 Fra. 29.— Cross (A, B) and longitudinal (C) sections through an embryo with spina bifida. (After Hertwig.) M. Half medullary plate. N. Half notochord. Y. Yolk. duced an embryo with an exposure of yolk in the mid-dorsal line. The exposure is more or less extensive, according to the extent of fusion anteriorly of the blastopore, and to the extent of fusion forwards of the lateral and ventral lips. These embryos with spina bifida show that the material for the mid-dorsal surface of the embryos appears first as a ring around the equator of the egg or a little below the equator. If this material is prevented from reaching the mid-dorsal surface, ¢t differentiates in situ. Hence the production of a ring-like medullary plate and a double notochord. erteen re ' Cu. VII] PRODUCTION OF ABNORMAL EMBRYOS 79 It is important to know definitely the origin of the material ' that forms the equatorial ring. We have seen that the ring _ appears at the same time that the blastopore-lips extend around F the equator of the egg. Does this material also extend out laterally from the dorsal lip of the blastopore along the sides, 4 “sor is the material already present as a circular ring of tissue, _ from which the lips of the blastopore differentiate? A study of the normal embryo combined with experiments gives, I _ believe, a conclusive answer to these questions. In the first place, if the dorsal lip be entirely destroyed, so that it cannot advance, nevertheless the lateral lips still appear and extend backward. If a point of the surface be injured just in front of one (or both) of the advancing corners of the dorso-lateral lips, the advance of the latter would be stopped if an actual transfer of material were taking place; nevertheless, on the posterior side of the point of injury, a depression of the surface, marking the blastoporic rim, appears, and continues to extend backward. The same thing happens if injuries be made at two consecutive points in the direction of extension of the lateral lip. Now if material were actually transferred backward from the dorsal lip and around the equator of the egg, its movement would be stopped when the dorsal lip was seriously injured, so that the lateral lips of the blastopore, and, later, the medullary folds, would not appear, or else their appearance would be delayed. Further, if there were, in reality, any such transfer backward of material around the equator, its progress would be stopped when the material reached the points of injury made along the line of the lateral lip. On the contrary, the appearance of the lateral lips, after the destruction of the dorsal lip, takes place as though no hindrance were present. The experiments point clearly to the conclusion that there is no backward transfer of building material, but that the mate- rial for the dorsal surface is already present as a ring around or near the equator of the egg. If the normal embryo be studied by means of sections at the period of the extension of the lateral lips of the blastopore, the material of the ring is found to be already present in the region into which the lateral lips extend. The evidence from these various sources proves that the production of the embryos 80 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. VII | showing spina bifida is owing to the differentiation in situ of cells — that in the normal embryo are first carried to the dorsal surface before they differentiate into their definitive organs. Roux first pointed out that the embryo described by him showed that the material for the two sides of the embryo is laid down in a ring, and that by the growing together (con-« crescence) of this ring along the mid-dorsal line of the embryo, — the two halves of the body are brought together. The same method of formation of the embryo by concrescence has been described as taking place in other vertebrate embryos, and cer- tain writers have even affirmed that this is the method by which all embryos of vertebrates are formed. In the main, Roux’s conclusion for the frog seems to be correct,! but in one respect not an unimportant exception must be taken to his statement. If the material be laid down as a ring of tissue around the equa- tor, and if, by its coming together (apposition), the two halves of the embryo result, it follows that the embryo should be at least as long as one semicircle of the surface of the egg. | i j ee oo eS eee ee ee tee Further, we have seen that the anterior end of the medullary — plate lies somewhat above the point of appearance of the dorsal lip of the blastopore, so that the embryo would be, on Roux’s supposition, even longer than a semicircle. But if we measure the medullary plate of the embryo at the time of its first appear- j ance, we find that in length it is only about one-third of the length of the circumference of the egg. It follows, then, that as the material comes to the mid-dorsal line in the normal embryo, it must also become more concentrated, so that the length of the medullary plate is less than the length of the material of its halves. There is an accrescence or concentration of material combined with a concrescence or union of material from the two sides. 1 Although Roux did not foresee the possibility that material might grow around the equator from the dorsal lip of the blastopore, my own experiments show, I think, that such a transfer does not take place. eS — Pe ee ee ead CHAPTER VIII PFLUGER’S EXPERIMENTS ON THE FROGS EGG 3 In order to discover how far the development depends on _ the surrounding conditions to which the egg is subjected, we — must change those conditions and observe the result. In this way we may hope to find out to what extent the phenomena of _ development are dependent on conditions outside of the egg, and how far they result from the egg itself. _ Pfliiger made, in 1883, a brilliant series of experiments that have been the point of departure for much of the later work _ on the frog’s egg; therefore, in this chapter, I shall give a _ somewhat detailed account of Pfliger’s work. ‘The results are arranged in an order different from that followed by - Pfliiger, with the hope of making clearer a necessarily brief » abstract. The following orientation of the egg will facilitate the de- scription of the experiments. If the middle! point of the black hemisphere of the frog’s egg (the “black pole”) is imagined _ to be connected with the analogous point of the white hemi- sphere (¢.e. with the “white pole”) by a straight line passing through the centre of the egg, this line forms the primary diam- eter or primary axis of the egg. An imaginary primary equator and a system of parallels and meridians belong to such a diam- eter. When the frog’s egg segments, the first two cleavage- _ planes are found to be vertical in whatever position the egg _ may lie. The line of intersection of these first two planes _ passes through the centre of the egg, forming what we may 1 Pfliiger does not notice that in the normal egg at rest this ‘‘ middle part’ is not necessarily the highest part of the egg. Correspondingly, the lower pole need not be the lowest point of the egg. For the present, however, we must disregard this distinction. G 81 82 - DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. VIII call the cleavage-axis or secondary axis. ‘To this axis there also belong an imaginary secondary equator, parallels, and meridians. — If the egg should be turned, after cleavage, so that neither the primary nor the secondary axis is vertical, then the diameter that stands at the time vertical may be spoken of as the tertiary axis. It will be seen, from what has been said, that the imaginary primary and secondary axes (with their systems) turn with the egg, te. may be thought of as constituent parts of the egg; while the tertiary axis only corresponds to any diameter of the ego that is for the moment vertical. THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY ON THE DIRECTION OF THE CLEAVAGE In normal eggs the first and second cleavages are vertical, ee ee a el ee Pele a oe Toast = the third horizontal. The question arises, ** Does there exist a — causal relation between the cleavage-planes and the egg-axis, as has always been assumed without question, or do the first two — cleavages go through the primary axis, gnly because the latter coincides with the force of gravity?” ‘This can be tested by preventing the normal rotation of the egg, and Pfliiger found a simple method by which this is possible. When the frog’s egg is removed from the uterus, it is covered by a thin coat of gelatinous substance which quickly absorbs water and, if sufficient water is present, a space appears after fertilization between the egg and its innermost membrane. If an egg is taken from the uterus and placed in a dry watch- olass, and only a drop of water containing sperm is added, then the membrane swells somewhat, and sticks firmly to the olass; if now the right amount of water is added, the surface of the egg remains in contact with the egg-membranes and the ege cannot rotate as it does under normal conditions. ‘The watch-glass containing the egg may be turned in any position, and the egg turns with it, so that any desired point of the ege’s surface may be placed uppermost. Let us imagine an egg to be so turned that the black pole lies on one side. In the © course of three hours the first division comes in, but now the plane of the first cleavage may not correspond to the primary Ca. VIIT) PFLUGER’S EXPERIMENTS 83 axis. It follows always the direction of the force of gravity, i.e. it passes through the vertical diameter of the egg. The second cleavage also is vertical, and its position is also - determined by the position of the egg, and by the position of the plane of the first cleavage. The third cleavage-planes often _ show irregularities. Generally they are at right angles to the first two, and lie nearer the upper pole of the egg, or, in other c 4 Boris, their position is also influenced by the force of gravity, Pg for they lie nearer to the pole that stands uppermost at the | _ time. It is a remarkable fact that the subsequent cleavages are _ more rapid in the upper than in the lower hemisphere, no matter what region of the egg has been placed uppermost. Embryos _ develop from these eggs that have been turned into abnormal positions, and the embryos differ from normal embryos only in the relative distribution of pigment over the surface of the body. Many have the upper surface of the body a light brown color with dark spots; others have the head, the back, and upper surface of the tail almost free from pigment, and of a _ whitish-yellow color. The belly in these embryos is more or less deeply pigmented. In a few days, however, new pigment develops over the dorsal surface of the embryo. It should be noted that these paler embryos often show abnormalities, such as bizarre excrescences, irregular movements, slower develop- ment, and that after a few days they begin to die. Pfliiger concluded from his experiments that an egg may be divided in all possible directions by the early cleavage-planes according to the position in which the experimenter places the ego, and from such an egg a normal tadpole may develop. It is not, however, entirely a matter of indifference what angle is made between the cleavage-planes and the primary axes. It is certain that if the upturned hemisphere contains more white _ than black, a normal embryo may develop; but if the upturned hemisphere be entirely white, ie. if the egg has been rotated - through 180 degrees, embryos may occasionally develop, but _ they are nearly always abnormal and soon die. It is difficult, in fact almost impossible, to keep the white hemisphere upward ; for in nearly every case Pfliiger found that later a partial rota- tion of the egg took place, so that a crescent of black appeared above the horizon. One exceptional case is worth recording. 84 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. VIII An egg was observed that had its white hemisphere turned exactly upwards until the first cleavage came in. More water was then added, and the egg retained its reversed position and continued to segment energetically and with wonderful regu- — larity. ‘The upturned white hemisphere was soon divided into — many small cells, while the cells in the lower black hemisphere — were larger. » Cx. XI] EFFECT OF INJURING A BLASTOMERE 109 blastomeres had been killed, we should have anticipated, Roux says, that ““hemiembryones anteriores” or “posteriores” would have appeared. Roux claims that such forms do really appear. The same result can be obtained, if, after the second cleavage of the egg, two of the four cells be killed, z.e. those two that lie on the same side of the second cleavage-plane. A hemiembryo anterior (?) is shown in Fig. 34, B. It has the anterior end of the medullary folds normally formed, also a normal chorda, mesoderm, and archenteron in this anterior end. In every re- spect it corresponds to the anterior end of a normal embryo, except that the archenteric cavity is small, resulting, Roux thinks, from the impossibility of pushing the yolk-mass poste- riorly, as is done in the normal embryo when the archenteron enlarges. Roux is uncertain whether he has seen any “ hemi- embryones posteriores,’ although one embryo that he found, with thick and short blastoporie lips, may represent such a form. Roux made some further experiments in which one of the first four blastomeres was killed, and other experiments in which three of the first four blastomeres were killed. In the first case he obtained three-fourth morule and three-fourth -blastule; in the latter case, one-fourth blastule and one-fourth embryos. Roux concluded from his experiments, “that the development of the frog’s gastrula and of the embryo immedi- ately following the gastrula-stage is, after the second cleavage- period, a mosaic work of at least four vertical self-developing (or differentiating) parts.” ‘How far this mosaic work is changed by a change in the position of material in the later development, cannot be determined.” In later stages in the development of the hemiembryos a new series of phenomena appear, that result in the ‘‘reorganization” 1 We should expect, following Roux’s argument, to get as many hemiem- bryones posteriores as anteriores, yet such does not seem to be the case. Hertwig (’93, A) has maintained that it is absurd to suppose the posterior end of the blastopore could appear when there is no anterior end; but this supposition rests, I think, on an erroneous idea of the way in which the blastopore forms, for I have shown in my experiments (’94) that the poste- rior lips of the blastopore may appear when the anterior lip has been de- stroyed. The experiment should be carefully repeated with the four-cell Stage, where it is possible to distinguish the two anterior and the two posterior cells. 110 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XI of the half operated upon, and in the subsequent “ postgenera- tion” of the same. Sections of eggs that have been successfully operated upon show the kind of change that has taken place in the injured blastomere as a result of the operation. The yolk is found much vacuolated in places, and the protoplasm in the immediate path of the needle has been killed, and much changed. After a time it is found that scattered nuclei or nuclear-like structures are also present in the injured half (Fig. 85, A). These have come from the regular or irregular division of the nucleus of the blastomere that has not in most cases been killed by the hot needle. The developed half is somewhat larger than the injured blastomere, and a sharp line of demarcation is at first present between the two halves. Even in the early stages of some eggs changes are found to take place that precede the “reorganiza- tion” of the injured half. Roux describes three sorts of re- organization-phenomena. ‘The first of these changes involves the formation of cells in the injured half. Nuclei, surrounded by a finely granular protoplasm, appear in the injured blastomere. These nuclei seem to arise-from two sources, — from the nucleus of the injured blastomere, and from nuclei (or cells) of the developing half that have transmigrated. Around the nuclei the yolk breaks up into cells. This cellulation of the yolk may take place at very different times. It may be absent in some cases in a semigastrula and be present in other cases in a semi- morula or semiblastula. The cellulation of the injured half begins always near the developing half, and extends thence outward. The cells of the injured half are of various sizes, but generally larger than the cells of the uninjured half. The cellulation of the yolk takes place only in the unchanged non-vacuolated parts. Where the yolk has been much changed, it is worked over by another method, z.e. by the second method of reorganization. ‘These parts are revived or reorganized by the nuclei or the cells that have now appeared in the injured half. Such parts are either actually devoured by wandering cells or slowly changed under the influence of neighboring cells or nuclei so that they become a part of these cells. In addition to the two preceding modes, a third method of reorganization takes place. When the yolk has been much at ™ i-\4 a nf ty ie z i ee aes 1 re ) ee Y & Ca. XI) EFFECT OF INJURING A BLASTOMERE tii injured, the surface may be subsequently covered by ectoderm _ that grows directly from the developing half over the injured portions. ‘ Postgeneration” now begins in the cellulated in- jured half and ultimately the missing half of the embryo is formed. The surface ectoderm is first postgenerated either by direct overgrowth from the uninjured to the injured side, or by the formation of ectoderm from the cells of the newly cellu- lated yolk. The missing half of the medullary folds appears very quickly. Half a day or a night is often sufficient to change a hemiembryo lateralis into a whole embryo with a complete medullary plate. The mesoblast grows over to the injured half, but increases in length and breadth by the addition of new cells from the cellulated yolk. The formation of new mesoderm takes place only along the free edge of that already formed. ‘The growth is in a dorso-ventral direction. The archenteron is postgenerated in a way very different from the way in which the archenteron of the normal embryo is formed. The lacking half of the archenteron arises in connection with the half of the archenteron already present in the hemiembryo. ‘The yolk-cells of the injured half be- come radially arranged and a slit appears in the postgenerated half extending out from the archenteron of the hemiembryo. The cells surrounding the slit arrange themselves into a lining layer and the slit opens to form the missing half of the archen- teron. In general we may say that in the postgeneration of the organs of the injured half, the changes always proceed from the already differentiated germ-layers of the hemiembryo, and the postgeneration takes place where the exposed surfaces of the germ-layers touch the newly cellulated yolk-mass of the injured half. FURTHER EXPERIMENTS - (By Hertwig, Endres and Walter, Schultze, Wetzel, Morgan) We may next consider the work of others, who have, after Roux, repeated the same experiment and made further varia- tions of it. Lastly, before a final conclusion can be reached as to the interpretation of the results, we must carefully examine the evidence from similar experiments on other forms. We 112 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. XI | shall be then in a position to understand more fully the results of the experiments on the frog’s egg. Hertwig (93, b) was the first to repeat Roux’s experiment, but reached results diametrically opposed to those of Roux. At the two-cell stage, one of the blastomeres was stuck with a hot needle,! but unfortunately a detailed description of the method employed is not given by Hertwig. After the opera- tion? the egg so turns itself that the uninjured part rotates upward, while the injured half is below. This is owing, Hert- wig says, to the development of a blastula and gastrula cay- ity, within the uninjured and segmented half. The cleavage- stages of the egg are not described! Sections of the blastula stage show that in the cellulated half a segmentation-cavity, having a thin roof, has appeared. This cavity lies, in the present case, in the centre of the developing half. In other embryos, the cavity may lie excentrically, and in some cases @ part of the floor of the cavity may be bounded by the yolk-substance of the undeveloped half. Uertwig interprets these results to mean that when one of the first blastomeres is injured, the method of development of the other blastomere is very much altered. ‘The injured half lying in contact with the active half plays only a passive role in the further development. The injured blastomere is closely applied to the developing half, and in places passes continuously into the latter. Hertwig thinks that the yolk of the injured blastomere exerts on the developing half an influence similar to that which the food- yolk of meroblastic eggs exerts on the protoplasmic portion that forms the embryo. This injured yolk-material comes to he in the ventral and posterior portion of the embryo. Hertwig ventures further to prophesy that if the injured yolk-mass had been taken altogether out of the egg-coat (i.e. from its contact with the living half), then there would be formed a normal embryo without defect and like the normal embryo in every respect except its smaller size. It is of importance to note that Hertwig describes other 1 In a few cases a galvanic stream was used to kill the blastomere. 2 How soon after is not stated. aid Yois te 6 Ape ae (se ek a Hip che REACT Bak ee OG Pe we a = Cu. XI] EFFECT OF INJURING A BLASTOMERE 113 embryos that he obtained by Roux’s methods, and contrasts these with those described above. Some of the embryos showed the condition of spina bifida, ¢.e. with both sides of the body developed and with a large yolk-exposure in the mid-dorsal linet Others of the embryos were only slightly injured by the operation and developed nearly normally. In these the en- tire dorsal region was well developed and the blastopore closed toa small ring. Only on the ventral side was a small defect found where the outer and middle germ-layers were absent. In these latter embryos, and in those showing spina bifida, Hertwig believes the injured blastomere was not killed or even sufficiently injured to prevent its partial development. That this is the true explanation cannot be doubted; for it is not at all unusual to find after the operation that the injured blastomere may separate off small portions of itself as cells that develop along with the cells from the uninjured half. Here, it seems to me, is the uncertain part of Hertwig’s work. He has not observed, as far as stated, the segmentation of each egg on, which he has operated, and consequently his results are open to the objection that in many cases, where he does not suspect it, the injured cell has also continued to divide and to form a part of the later embryo. In nearly all of the embryos described by Hertwig the medullary folds are unequally developed.?, Hertwig’s attempts to meet this fact do not seem to me altogether satisfactory. 08 2 Cn. XIT] INTERPRETATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 135 in which such an influence could be transmitted from the nu- cleus to the cytoplasm. Strasburger supposes the nucleus ex- erts a dynamic influence on the cell-plasm. De Vries and others imagine that organized particles, “ pangens,” pass out of the nucleus to transform the cytoplasm. Driesch suggests that the nucleus secretes ferments which change the cell-plasm. These hypotheses are purely imaginary, for at present we know almost nothing of the function of the nucleus; and even if we suppose the differentiation comes in some unknown way from the nucleus, still we do not know what could start the process in isolated nuclei that are after the cleavage-period assumed to be equiva- lent. ‘There is, however, one series of experiments which seems to throw some light on the present problem, although the inter- pretation is extremely difficult and hazardous. I refer to the experiment on the ctenophor-egg, in which a part of the cyto- plasm was cut from the unsegmented egg, and the latter gave rise in most cases to an imperfect embryo. Here, although the entire segmentation-nucleus is present, yet by loss of cytoplasm defects are produced in the embryo. The form, therefore, of the early embryo would seem to result from the structure of the protoplasm, or from the arrangement of the blastomeres after cleavage. In either case the phenomenon is in the first instance cytoplasmic. How can this conclusion be brought into harmony with the facts, stated above, of inheritance of charac- ters through the male pronucleus? Let us assume an imaginary case to show how this union of the two conceptions is possible. If we had used the spermatozodn of one species (or variety) of ctenophor and the egg of another species, and then after fertili- zation had removed a part of the egg-cytoplasm, we should ex- pect to find the embryo defective, but the organs that were formed we should expect to show a combination of male and female characters. In other words, the imperfect embryo would have resulted from the arrangement of the protoplasm into an imperfect form, but the kind of organ would have depended on the structure of the nucleus in each cell. After cleavage, the cytoplasm of each part differentiates into this or that organ, but the kind of differentiation of each part is determined by the nucleus of that part. If the argument given above should prove true, then the 136 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Ca. XII ~ origin of the differentiation is to be found in the ultimate struct- ure of the cytoplasm of the egg or embryo, although even then we do not know how this mechanism could be started. Whit- man (95) has stated his conviction that it is erroneous to think of the embryo as only the sum-total of cells interacting upon one another, but that the embryo itself is to be thought of as a whole, which regulates its parts regardless of cell-boundaries. According to this view, each portion of the embryo has its fate sealed, not because the given portion forms a member of the community of cells, but because the whole directs the fate of each special part. Driesch has pointed out that the egg seems to act like an intelligent being. If so, are the causes of dif- — ferentiation and of regeneration the same in kind as physico- chemical causes, or do they belong to the category of intelligent acts, and can these latter be accounted for by the known princi- ples of chemistry and physics? The plain answer is, we do not know. le, | ee ~ ns, a ee CHAPTER XIII ORGANS FROM THE ENDODERM WE may now turn again to the history of the development of the normal embryo. THE CLOSURE OF THE BLASTOPORE, AND THE FORMATION OF THE NEURENTERIC CANAL During the last stages of the closure of the blastopore its | lateral lips rapidly approach each other, and it then becomes an elliptical and later a slit-like opening (Fig. 23). The pos- terior edge of the blastopore also grows forward for a short distance, and as a result a pocket-like continuation of the archenteron is formed (Fig. 37, A). The depth of this pocket corresponds to the extent of the forward growth of the poste- rior edge or ventral lip of the blastopore. If the embryo be examined in the region over which the posterior lip of the blasto- pore has advanced, there will be found at first nothing on the surface to mark the region closed over. Some observers have described. faint traces of a groove in this region, but such appearances are probably exceptional. Later, however, when the outlines of the medullary folds have appeared, a distinct longitudinal groove appears in this region running posteriorly from the small blastopore (Fig. 23, B). At the ventral end of the groove a distinct depression or pit is soon formed (Fig. 37), which marks the beginning of the anus. It lies at a point opposite to the bottom of the posterior pocket of the archenteron, and corresponds therefore approximately to the region at which the first trace of the ventral lip of the blastopore was found. As the medullary folds close in to form the nervous system, the blastopore is overarched by their posterior ends. The folds 187 138 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. XIIT meet above and posterior to the blastopore, so that the latter can no longer be seen from the surface (Figs. 23, D, E, and 37, A). Asa result the central canal of the nervous system N HB a a ONO wwenen cy N HB NT ay IN OSS0 P Ls 796 &OOS SOee Q 7 5 838. 0ORoS ie 995002 ‘ OS . PL: S350 A sors ; oek o3 C. 09 OLS OD On eee 2H e, i) Bio eins 880-05, ON EAES H LV B Fic. 37. — Sagittal sections through two stages: A. when blastopore is overarched ; B. when anus has formed. (After Marshall, with modifications in A.) A. Anus. Fs. Fore-brain. Hs. Hind\brain. LV. Liver-diverticulum. Ms. Mid-brain. N. Notochord. NT. Netrrenterie canal. PD. Proctodeum. PH. Pharynx. PN. Pineal body. PT. Pituitary body. becomes continuous at its posterior end with the overarched blastopore, and by means of the latter the so-called neurenteric Cu. XIIT] ORGANS FROM THE ENDODERM 139 canal, the central canal of the nerve tube, is directly continued into the archenteron (Fig. 37, A). At this time the archen- teron is completely closed in from the exterior, since neither the mouth nor the anus has as yet opened. The posterior ends of the medullary folds close just behind the blastopore. ‘The groove lying behind the blastopore is not overarched by the folds. During this period the posterior pit of this groove has become. much deeper. At first, the pit was separated from the archenteron by a thick layer of cells con- sisting of ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. ‘The meso- dermal cells begin to pull away from this region, and the pit, in consequence, becomes deeper. Then the endodermal cells pull away beneath the pit, and only a single layer of ecto- dermal cells remains to separate the cavity of the archenteron from the exterior. Finally the latter cells also draw away, and the pit opens into the archenteron. The external opening becomes the anus of the frog. It is at first almost on the dorsal surface of the embryo, but it rapidly shifts! to a more ventral position, and at the same time the region above it elongates to form the beginning of the tail. The neurenteric canal is only a temporary structure, and is soon obliterated by the growing together of its walls, although its position may be marked in sections for some time after its actual closure by the irregular line of pigment in the region of the coalescence of its walls. In the Urodela the changes that take place during the final stages of the blastopore are somewhat simpler. The circular blastopore is reduced to an elongated slit-like open- ing; but there seems to be some variation in the details of the method of its later reduction. The medullary folds arch over only the anterior end of the elongated blastopore, leaving free the posterior end. The anterior end becomes the neurenteric canal. ‘The sides of the middle part of the slit-like blastopore come together and fuse at the time of overgrowth of the med- ullary folds. The posterior end of the blastopore always remains open to the exterior, and forms the permanent anus. 1 The method by which the apparent change in position of the anal opening takes place has not been clearly made out. 140 _ DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIII The main differences that exist between the methods of forma- tion of neurenteric canal and anus in the frog and in urodeles are these: In the frog the ventral lip of the blastopore grows forward during the closure of the blastopore, and only subse- quently a new opening forms at the point from which the for- Fic. 38. Embryo of Rana temporaria at time of hatching. ward growth began (Fig. 37, A, B). In the urodeles (newt and Amblystoma) the ventral lip of the blastopore remains stationary, @.e. it retains its first position, and the anus forms directly from its posterior end. THE DIGESTIVE TRACT AND THE 'GILL-SLITS The origin of the archenteron has been described in Chapter VI. At the time when the yolk-plug is drawn in from the surface, the archenteron has begun to enlarge (Fig. 26, A). A series of cross-sections (Fig. 26, B-E) of an embryo at this stage show that the dorsal and lateral walls of the archenteron consist of a single layer of endodermal cells, while the floor of the archenteron is formed by the upper surface of the yolk- mass. The uppermost cells of the yolk-mass show, to some extent, a tendency to arrange themselves in ‘a single layer bounding. the archenteron. Shortly after this period the embryo. increases in length, and the archenteron is correspondingly drawn out (Fig. 37). The anterior end of the archenteron enlarges, and the yolk-mass is pushed posteriorly. As a result the middle and posterior parts of the archenteric cavity become smaller than they were in the earlier stages (Figs. 39, 40). The walls of the anterior portion i of the archenteron are thin, and composed of a single layer of cells. A blind diverticulum extending from this enlarged te ‘3 —— eo Cu. XIII] ORGANS FROM THE ENDODERM 141 © anterior portion into the yolk-mass behind (Fig. 87, A, B) forms the beginning of the liver. The first gill-slits appear at a stage when the medullary folds | have rolled over and are about to fuse. At the present stage, the gill-slits are well marked. They appear along the lateral walls of the enlarged anterior end of the archenteron as solid outgrowths of its wall. At the posterior end of the archenteric cavity the position of the blastopore, which has now closed, is marked by a diverticulum, the so-called “ post-anal-gut” (Fig. 37). It is in this region that the neurenteric canal of the embryo persists for a short time after the blastopore has been covered over by the medullary folds. The pit-like invagi- nation of ectoderm, the proctodzeum, has opened into the pos- tero-ventral portion of the archenteron (Fig. 37, B). At the time when the tadpole is ready to emerge from the jelly-capsule (Fig. 38), the anterior portion of the archen- teron has become larger and longer (Fig. 59), and in the re- gion where the heart forms, ventral to the pharynx, an inward projection of the endodermal wall is present. In the middle region of the embryo the lumen of the archenteron is reduced to a small cavity,.as seen in cross-section (Fig. 40), and is now longer from above downward than from side to side. ‘The yolk-mass as a whole is rounded and more compact than in the earlier stages. At the posterior end of the embryo the archen- teric cavity bends around the end of the yolk-mass, taking a curved course to open on the ventro-posterior surface of the body by the anus. During the early stages of development the cells of the em- bryo have been exceedingly active, but no food has been taken _ as yet into the “digestive tract, for the mouth does not open until some time after the embryo has left the egg-membranes. _} All the cells of the body contain yolk-granules, which serve in™) part, beyond doubt, to supply the energy necessary for develop- | ment. A large amount of yolk is also stored up in the endo- ~ derm cells of the ventral yolk-mass, and must also long serve as a source of nourisliment for the young tadpole. The changes in shape that the archenteron passes through seem to be in part a result of the activity of the endodermal cells, and in part the necessary result of the change in shape ; ; “MINOORTOAIDOATY “ATT EA-DORY GE ete ay Theta SpraHSOLON iN Mec Tan I i I I I H‘H ‘stuy -y ‘Apoq jo oued appro ysnosyy WOT}OOS [BI4IISVG — ‘Ge ‘Ol Al pe AR Yi é Os Gas ya Y, é\ £\ ?. SB Sas XX \/ mee ae rx ASS ‘\ : <2 <7 fi 8 ane “Y 1 Marshall (°98). ee ee. ys Cu. XIIT] ORGANS FROM THE ENDODERM 145 is the hyomandibular cleft, and this is followed successively by the first, second, third, and fourth branchial clefts. The last is the smallest and is often imperfectly developed at this time. The visceral or gill-arches lie between the clefts. The first arch between the hyomandibular and the first branchial clefts is the hyoid arch (Fig. 41). Then follow the first branchial arch (BR?), second branchial arch (BR*), and third branchial arch (BR?). Behind the fourth branchial pouch there is an imperfectly defined fourth branchial arch. When the tadpole leaves its jelly-capsule, the pouches are still double-walled, solid partitions ; but about the time when the mouth forms, the endodermal lamelle of some of the pouches separate and place the cavity of the pharynx in com- munication with the exterior. The second and third branchial clefts open first. Later the first branchial cleft opens, and later still the fourth. The hyomandibular cleft is at first like the others, but it never opens to the exterior. After its formation it separates from its ectodermal connection, and recedes from the surface. The lamellee separate, and the cleft appears as a diverticulum of the pharynx. Two other structures arise from the walls of the pharynx | shortly before the hatching of the tadpole. “The lungs arise as a pair of pouch-like diverticula of the walls of the esophagus. They are at first exceedingly small and have strongly pigmented walls.” The thyroid body appears about the time of hatching as a short median longitudinal groove along the wall of the pharynx. “The groove is shallow anteriorly, but deepens at the hinder end, where it leads into a small conical pit-like depression of the endoderm, forming the pharyngeal floor, just in front of the pericardial cavity. Soon after the mouth opens, the thyroid separates completely from the floor of the pharynx, remaining as a solid rounded mass of pigmented cells, in close contact with the anterior wall of the pericardium.” ! 1 Marshall (793). CHAPTER XIV {} N {¥ ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM THE mesoderm appears as a distinct layer over the dorsal surface of the embryo at the time when the dorsal lip of the blastopore is moving over the white hemisphere (Fig. 25). At first the mesoderm is in close contact with the endoderm, particularly along the mid-dorsal line. The notochord soon separates from the mesodermal sheets of each side by two verti- eal furrows, so that from this time forward there are two lateral sheets of mesoderm, separated in the mid-dorsal line by the notochord (Fig. 26, EK). Around the anterior and posterior ends of the notochord, the two sheets of mesoderm are con- | tinued into each other. These sheets of mesoderm now rapidly extend ventrally. This down-growth is brought about by additions to the ven- tral borders of the sheets. ‘The new cells that are added come, probably, from the yolk-cells along the free borders of the mesoderm; the yolk-cells in this region dividing rapidly form smaller cells that are joined to the mesoderm.! At the time when the medullary folds appear outlined upon the sur- face, the lateral sheets of mesoderm have extended ventrally and to a certain extent have fused in the mid-ventral line. The cells of each sheet of mesoderm are arranged over the greater part of their extent into two layers; but on each side of the notochord the mesoderm is somewhat thickened to form the beginning of the segmental plate (Fig. 42); and in this region there is, in the early stages of development, no distinct arrangement of the cells into two layers. 1 According to some authors the ventral extension of mesoderm results from a proliferation of the mesoderm that is first laid down over the dorsal region, but it seems to me there is little ground for such an assumption. 146 i 4 i : a } ; ‘a a r XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM 147 Over the anterior end of the embryo and around the pharynx the mesoderm forms a thin layer of cells, loosely held together (Fig. 26, B). The mesoderm over the dorsal surface of the pharynx and beneath the brain plate is represented by only a single layer of somewhat scattered cells. Around the blasto- pore there is a thick layer of mesodermal cells which is thickest on the dorsal surface. In general, in the posterior region of the body the mesoderm is thicker than in the middle and anterior regions. THE MESODERMIC SOMITES In the following stages of development of the embryo the dorsal ectodermal plate is lifted up and rolled in to form the central nervous system (Fig. 42). The mesoderm lying on AN ‘ LY Deo g: pores 4 ~ > “My, Fic. 42. — Cross-section through middle of embryo. M. Medullary plate. N. Noto- chord. Nc. Neural crest. PS. Primitive segment-plate. SO, SP. Somatic and splanchnic mesoderm, each side of the notochord changes shape somewhat during this time. It forms on each side a thick, nearly solid mass of cells, the plate of the primitive segments or segmental plate (Fig. 42). The outermost cells of this mass, z.e. those lying nearest to the dorsal surface, now show a tendency to arrange them- selves into an epithelial layer. This layer is at first continu- ous at the sides with the outer or somatic layer of cells of the lateral mesodermal sheets. The two layers of cells of the lateral mesodermal sheets (Fig. 42, SO and SP), the somatic and splanchnic layers, often show a tendency to separate and leave a cavity between them. This cavity filled with fluid 148 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIV is the celom, or body-cavity, and is at first continued into the segmental plate. ‘The cavity in the segmental plate lies be- tween the outer epithelial layer and the inner solid mass of cells. When the medullary plate of the embryo begins to roll in to form the nerve-tube, each segmental plate begins to break up transversely into a series of blocks or mesodermic somites. The process begins first in the region anterior to the middle of the embryo (Fig. 43). The mesodermic somites are at first somewhat irregular in out- line. The first well-marked somite lies at about the level of the ganglion of the vagus nerve. In front of this there are traces of another somite which is partially broken up into loose mesen- chymatous tissue. Still further for- ward, the series of somites is replaced by loose mesenchyme. In the frog the number of head-somites (or structures Fic. 43.— Frontal section of corresponding to them) is uncertain. Bombinator. (After Gotte.) eee ke MS. Mesoblastic somites. At first the primitive segments or N. Notochord.. NC. Neu- somites are not separated from the ral crest. lateral sheets of mesoderm, but almost immediately after the segmental plate has begun to break up transversely into somites, these begin to separate also from the lateral mesoderm. ‘This separation appears first in the intersegmental borders. At this time the medullary folds have met to form a closed tube. Posterior to the fourth segment, the segmental plate is beginning to break up into blocks, but these have, as yet, no sharply marked outer or ventral boundaries. ‘The body-cavity of the laterai mesodermal sheet is at first, as we have seen, sometimes con- tinued into the cavity of the segmental plate, but when the constriction of the plate from the lateral sheets takes place, this communication (the communicating canal) is lost. Even in the younger stages there is a differentiation of a peripheral epithelial layer surrounding the dense central mass or kernel of the somites. This peripheral part is represented on the 7 Mock C a) my IBA fxs 73 Y, 2, Me? > Na =e aa a SG Ba Cu. XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM 149 outer side of each somite by the entire somatic layer. Along the ventral and median boundaries of the somites a layer having a loose epithelial character (mesenchyme) is also to be seen. Thus the central mass which is to develop into the myotome lies on the median side of the ccelom, and is wholly surrounded by an epithelial layer. Frontal sections show that this layer can also be traced inward for some distance between successive somites over both their anterior and posterior sur- faces (Fig. 44). | ‘Not merely is mesenchyme produced by the thin peripheral layer of the somites, but in anterior regions considerable por- tions of the kernels of the somites also undergo a metamor- phosis in this direction. Thus, if I be not mistaken, a somite immediately in front of somite 1 has been wholly converted into mesenchymatic tissue. ‘The kernel of the succeeding so- mite (somite 1) has given rise to a considerable quantity of mesenchyme, and the process has been manifested, though to a less degree, even in succeeding somites.” } At the time when fourteen pairs of somites are present? the cells of the more anterior somites have begun to differentiate into muscle-fibres. The cells of each somite elon- gate in the antero-pos- terior direction and become cylindrical in shape, and each extends the whole length of its . Im. te cH 'S . 44, B). Fic. 44.—Frontal sections through the anterior Each cylindrical cell has end of Bombinator. (After Gotte.) A. Shows $ 4 three gill-pouches (G), and mesoderm of at first but a single me arches. B. Shows formation of mesodermic cleus. Around the wall somites (MS). PH. Pharynx. of the cell a layer of fine fibrille appears. The original nucleus divides and re-divides into many nuclei, which lie scattered throughout the cell. 1 Field (’91). 2 Four days after fertilization of the egg, when three pairs of gills have appeared. 150 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIV The development of the musculature of the head, limbs, and ventral body-wall takes place at a later stage. A description of the origin and development of these structures is beyond the limit of the present account. THe HEART AND. BLOOD-VESSELS The.heart appears at the time when the medullary folds have rolled in, and have met along the mid-dorsal line; ities below the pharynx, and anterior to the liver (Fig. 37, B). The meso- derm in this region shows a tendency to split into two sheets and, where the heart is about to develop, a cavity, a part of : | Fic. 45.— Three stages in development of heart. E. Endothelium. PE. Pericar- dium. PH. Pharynx. W. Wall of heart. the coelom, appears between the sheets. A cross-section of the larva (Fig. 45, A) shows on each side of the mid-ventral line in the region of the heart the somatic and splanchnic layers widely separated from each other. The ccelomic cavities of the right and left sides are not continuous across the middle line, but anterior and posterior to this section the ccelomic cavity is found to be continuous before and behind with the general ccelomic space on each side. A few scattered cells lie in the middle line between the splanchnic layer and the ventral wall of the pharynx (Fig. 45, A). These cells have ~ Cu. XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM 151 been described as originating from the ventral wall of the arch- enteron, and if so, have had a different origin from the other cells of the heart.? At a somewhat later stage of development the walls of the cceelomic cavities of the right and left sides separate further (Fig. 45, B). The splanchnic layer thickens, and begins to sur- round the proliferation of scattered “endodermal cells.”” These endodermal cells arrange themselves into a thin-walled tube stretching throughout the heart-region (Fig. 45, B). Subse- quent development shows that this tube becomes the endothe- lial lining of the heart. Around this endothelial tube the thickened splanchnic layers now begin to push in from the sides between the tube and the lower wall of the pharynx. The tube becomes finally entirely surrounded by mesoderm (Fig. 45, C). The mesoderm from the sides that has met beneath the pharynx forms the dorsal mesentery of the heart. The mesoderm around the tube continues to thicken, and forms later the musculature | of the heart. At first the heart has also a ventral mesentery formed by the union of the walls of the celomic cavities below it (Fig. 45, B), but later the mesentery is in part absorbed and the ccelomic cavities become continuous below from side to side, forming the pericardial chamber. ‘The outer layer of somatic mesoderm gives rise to the pericardium itself. The tubular heart is attached at its posterior end to the liver and anteriorly to the wall of the pharynx. It becomes free ventrally and later also dorsally along the middle of its course, and owing to an increase in length is bent on itself into an @-shaped tube (Fig. 39). When the tadpole is 44 mm. in length, we find a vessel open- ing into the posterior end of. the heart, the sinus venosus, formed by the union of two large vitelline veins. These veins. have appeared on each side of the liver-diverticulum and con- tinue along the yolk-mass in a fold of the splanchnopleure. | They are supposed to carry to the heart the food-material ab- sorbed from the yolk. Into the sinus venosus empty also two 1 At least these cells have arisen from the yolk-cells after the ventral meso- derm has been split off. y 4 rn/) 7 AV ys Ss GS 7 ALI B | | My AU vy Art ar? TA art Fic. 46, A.—AF. Afferent branchial vessel. AR. Anterior cerebral artery. CA, CP. Anterior and posterior commissural vessel. EF1, EF?, EF%, EF4. Efferent branchial vessels of the first, second, third, and fourth branchial arches. EH. Ef- ferent hyoid vessel. EM. Efferent mandibular vessel. G. Glomus. O. Aorta. P. Pronephros. RT. Truncus arteriosus. S. Segmental duct. (After Marshall.) B.—AF!, AF2, AF8, Afferent branchial vessels. AU. Auricle. CV. Cuvierian vein. EF!, EF?, EF’, EF*. Efferent branchial vessels. EH. Efferent hyoid vessel. EM. Efferent mandibular vessel. G. Glomus. HV. Hepatic veins. MV. Mandibular vein. MY. Hyoidean vein. TA. Truncus arteriosus. V. Ven- tricle. (After Marshall.) Ve i iit a i Cu. XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM 153 veins that have come down from the dorso-lateral region of the embryo. ‘These are the Cuvierian veins formed on each side by the union of the posterior and anterior cardinal veins. The posterior cardinals bring back the blood from the head-kidneys. Around the head-kidneys these veins form sinuses that are enormously large. Each posterior cardinal also receives so- matie veins from the posterior part of the body-wall. The anterior cardinal veins bring back blood from the dorsal part of the head-region. In a larva 4} mm. in length, the blood-vessels of the branchial region have also appeared. ‘The anterior end of the heart, the truncus arteriosus, divides into a right and left branch, which pass forward and laterally toward the base of the gill-region. In the mandibular arch no vessels are as yet present. In the hyoid arch an irregular space appears in the mesoderm. In the first branchial arches two vessels appear, a large efferent vessel (Fig. 46, for an older embryo) connected with the dorsal aorta, and a smaller afferent vessel. The latter is at present without con- nection. In the second branchial arch the conditions are like those in the first. In the third branchial arch only a small efferent vessel has as yet appeared. No vessels are present at this time in the fourth branchial arch. ‘The dorsal aorta is represented by a paired vessel in the dorso-pharyngeal region. Opposite the hyoid arch each branch of the dorsal aorta di- vides into a dorsal and into a ventral branch. ‘The dorsal branches meet each other behind the infundibulum, while the ventral branch passes forward to end blindly (Fig. 46). The two aortz unite posteriorly into a single vessel at the level of the pronephros (Fig. 46, A). The condition of the blood-vessels shortly after the tadpole has left its envelopes (it is then 7 mm. in length) is illustrated in Figs. 46 and 47. The heart has enlarged and is further twisted on itself. The aortic bulb-portion and the auricular and ventricular portions are distinctly marked from each other by constrictions of the tube. The right and left branches of the aortic bulb have grown toward the gill-arches, and the afferent vessels of the first and second branchial arches have united with the ventral aortic branches AF! and AF? The efferent branches, EF! and EF, of the first and second bran- 154 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIV chial arches have greatly enlarged, and the efferent and afferent vessels are now also united to each other in each arch by small vessels (Fig. 47) or capillary tubes. ‘The efferent vessels of these two arches are also in communication with the dorsal aorta of their respective sides. ‘There is thus established at this time a circulation of blood from the heart to the dorsal aorta by way of the first and second branchial arches. In the third and fourth branchial arches the efferent vessels have appeared. In the third arch the beginning of an affer- Fic. 47.— AF. Afferent branchial vessel. CV. Anterior cardinal vein. EF!. Effer- ent branchial vein. G. Pneumogastric nerve. JV. Inferior jugular vein. L. Capillary loop connecting afferent and efferent branchial vessels. N. Notochord. O. Aorta. P. Pericardium. PH. Pharynx. SU. Suckers. V4. Fourth ven- tricle. (After Marshall.) ent vessel is seen (Fig. 46). In the hyoid arch blood-vessels appear, as we have seen, at an early stage of development and seem to correspond to those in the branchial arches, but after developing to a certain extent, they begin to degenerate. In the mandibular arch no vessels have appeared at the time when the larva leaves its capsule. Soon after this time a vessel de- velops in this arch, and a small diverticulum arises from the dorsal aorta (Fig. 46, B, MV), and later the two vessels unite. The origin of the heart has been described, but as yet the Se Cu. XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM 155 method by which the blood-vessels are formed has not been fully considered. ‘The dorsal aorta is the first vessel to arise. A series of isolated lacunz appear in the mesoderm along the roof of the pharynx, and by opening into one another form a pair of longitudinal vessels. Vessels next appear in the first and second branchial arches. Similar vessels arise later in the third and fourth branchial arches. In the hyoid and mandibular arches the vessels appear, as we have seen, later still. These branchial blood-vessels originate in part as iso- lated lacunz in the mesoderm, and in part as outgrowths of already existing vessels. For instance, lacunar vessels appear in the mesoderm of the gill-arches, two in each arch. One of these is the efferent lacunar vessel, and later connects with a corresponding diverticulum from the dorsal aorta, and the other lacunar vessel is the afferent vessel of the same arch. This latter vessel grows ventrally toward the diverticulum from the truncus arteriosus and unites with it. The walls of the blood-vessels are formed directly from the mesodermal cells around the lacune. ‘The blood-corpuscles are free cells that have been left in the lacuna-spaces, or more usually are cells budded off at a later stage from the walls of the vessels into their cavities.”! At first the blood-corpuscles are simply spherical cells containing yolk-granules. Only after the embryo is hatched do many of the corpuscles begin to acquire the shape and character of red blood-corpuscles. THE PRONEPHROS The excretory system of the young embryo is represented on each side by the pronephros and the segmental duct. Whether the pronephros and duct arise in part from an early ingrowth of ectoderm or whether they develop in situ from the somatic mesoderm is perhaps still open to doubt. Field (91), who has worked out most recently the development of the pronephros and segmental duct in the frog, describes the organ as coming entirely from the mesoderm. We shall follow closely Field’s ac- count. The pronephros appears at a stage when the medullary 1 Marshall (’98). 156 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIV plate is first formed. It is well marked at the time when the medullary folds have rolled in, but have not yet fused. A thickening of the somatic layer of the lateral mesoderm near the second mesoblastic somite marks the beginning of the prone- phros (Fig. 48, A). At a later stage, the mesodermic thick- ening becomes larger, and the anterior end arches over toward the coelomic cavity, to form the first nephrostome. The ventro posterior part of the nephrostomal thickening is continued backward as a thickening of the somatic wall as far as the seventh somite, to form the segmental duct. A canalization now takes place in the nephrostomal portion and in the seg- mental duct. Three short tubes or canals appear in the pronephric mass running outward from the celom (Fig. 41). Constrictions appear between the first and second, and between the second and third canalized tracts (Fig. 48, B), and short Fic. 48. — Three stages in the formation of the pronephros. (A and C after Field.) hollow stalks are formed leading ventrally into the longitu- dinal canal of the segmental duct. A proliferation of cells from the somatic layer of the meso- blastic somites, dorsal to the pronephros, gives rise to a cover- ing of mesoderm for the pronephros, the pronephrice capsule. A little later a protrusion of the splanchnic wall opposite to the funnels of the pronephros forms the glomus (Fig. 47, B). The glomus becomes filled with blood, and seems to have a. direct connection with the dorsal aorta. The bulging portion of the glomus protrudes into the ccelom, and its cavity is sepa- rated from the ccelomic cavity by only a single layer of cells. At the time when the embryo is hatched, the duct of the pronephros, the segmental duct, has fused with the wall of the cloaca, and the lumen of the duct opens into the digestive ~ | —o we J a a ee ee Wh Cu. XIV] ORGANS FROM THE MESODERM SESE tract (Fig. 41). Presumably the pronephros is functionally active at this time. The arrangement of the tubes of the pronephros, and their relation to the common tube or prone- phric duct, is shown in Fig. 48, C. ‘The three nephrostomes open into three collecting tubules, and these tubules have elongated independently of one another. ‘The first collecting tubule is short; the second is thrown into several turns and opens into the pronephric duct a short distance from the first. The collecting tubule from the third nephrostome opens some distance behind the point of opening of the second. ‘The seg- mental duct is thrown into a series of turns between the first and second collecting tubules ; and as it leaves the pronephric region it takes at first a tortuous course, and then runs as a straight tube backward to the cloacal opening. The posterior cardinal veins have appeared at this time, and in the region of the head-kidneys these veins widen into a sinus lying amongst the windings of the collecting tubules of the pronephric duct. ‘The glomus of each side reaching from the region of the first to that of the third nephrostome, and lying exactly opposite the nephrostomes, is well developed (Fig. 46). So far the description of the development of the excretory system has been that given by Field. ‘The same author adds: “ According to the account which at present receives the most general acceptance, the pronephros first appears as an outfold- ing of the somatopleure in the form of a longitudinal groove. The anterior end of this groove is destined to become the prone- phros, the remaining portion is constricted off to form the seg- mental duct. Since the process of constriction advances from before backward, stages may be found in which a completed tube is continuous posteriorly with a mere groove of the soma- topleure. In the anterior region the groove remains in com- munication with the body-cavity, and grows down toward the ventral surface of the embryo in the form of a broad pocket. The slit-like peritoneal opening of this pouch closes through- out the greater part ofits length, leaving, however, two or three regions of incomplete closure, the fundaments of the nephrostomes.”’ “The nephrostomal tubules are formed by the fusion of the walls of the pouch between two nephrostomes. ‘The regions of Tbs: <2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG [Cu. XIV fusion extend in vertical lines from the nephrostomal margin of the pouch nearly to its ventral border, where there is left an unfused and therefore continuous longitudinal tract con- stituting the canal which I have called the collecting trunk.” ! Field continues, “In opposition to this view, I would maintain : (1) That the first trace of the excretory system consists of a solid proliferation of somatopleure, the pronephric thicken- ing; (2) that the lumen of the system arises secondarily; and (3) that the pronephric tubules do not appear in consequence of the local fusion of the walls of a widely open pouch, but that they are differentiated at an early stage from the hitherto indifferent pronephric thickening.” The pronephric duct of the Amphibia arises, according to one view, as we have seen above, from an evagination of soma- topleure, its lumen being therefore a detached portion of the body-cavity. A second view of the origin of the duct is, that it arises from a solid proliferation of somatopleure. Field agrees with the latter view. A third view maintains that the duct is ectodermic in origin. Field has shown, however, that in the Amphibia the excretory system develops most probably without any participation of the ectoderm in its formation. 16 This view of the development of the pronephros, although suggested by Wilh. Miiller, was first described in detail by Goette for Bombinator, and was later extended to other Amphibia by the researches of Fiirbringer. It has been entirely confirmed by Wichmann, by Hoffmann, and still more recently by Marshall and Bles.”? (Field, ’91, page 281.) iia aa hi ie 5 alli CHAPTER XV ORGANS FROM THE ECTODERM THRE outer covering-layer of the embryo, the ectoderm, gives rise to the nervous system and organs of special sense (eyes, ears, nose). The adhesive glands or “suckers” are also formed by this layer; and the anterior and posterior divisions of the digestive tract, the stomodeum and proctodeum, have a lining of ectoderm. In the present chapter we shall follow the development of these organs. THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM The medullary plate appears on the surface of the young | embryo at the time when the yolk-plug is about to be drawn in from the surface. It extends over about one-third of the” circumference of the egg and is, at first, quite broad. It is slowly converted into a tube by the drawing together of its material, and by a subsequent over-rolling of its sides to meet in the mid-dorsal line. This change into a furrow, and then into a closed tube, involves extensive movements of the material of the plate. Whether the plate moves as a whole, or whether the movement is only the sum-total of changes in shape and position of the individual cells, is not known (compare Figs. 26, 42,50). While the medullary tube is developing, the embryo as a whole is changing its spherical shape into a more elon- gated form and the medullary tube is also drawn out. 7 The medullary plate is formed, for the most part, from a al — 4 | thickening of the inner layer of the ectoderm (Figs. 26 and . 42). It is continuous on each side with a broad flange or ridge of thickened ectoderm (Fig. 42, Nc). This ridge of cells, the neural crest or ridge, is also lifted up during the formation of 159 160 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. XV the tube, forming a broad sheet of cells on each side, continu- ous with the dorsal edges of the closing tube. These lateral sheets are very large and conspicuous at* the anterior end of the nerve-tube. ‘The subsequent history of these structures will be followed later. ; The first part of the medullary tube to close, is the antero- median portion, and from this point the closure of the tube — extends anteriorly and posteriorly. At the anterior end, the tube remains open latest; at the posterior end, the medullary folds arch over the blastopore, as already described. When the medullary folds have met along the mid-dorsal line, the apposed edges fuse, and the outer layer of ectoderm then becomes continuous over the outer surface of the embryo. A part of the same layer has been cut off and lines the cavity of the neural tube. The nerve-tube soon loses all connection with the overlying ectoderm (Fig. 40). The anterior end of the nerve tube is larger than the rest, and this end is at first bent down nearly at right angles to the long axis of the more posterior portion (Fig. 387, A). The bending begins at the front end of the notochord. A slight transverse infolding of the wall of the anterior end of the tube takes place soon after its closure, and later another transverse infolding occurs, still further forward. As a result three divi- sions or vesicles of this region are produced. ‘They correspond to the fore-brain, mid-brain, and hind-brain respectively. ~The fore-brain (Fig. 37, FB) is the large anterior vesicle. From it develops later the third ventricle, the pineal body, the infun- dibulum, the optic vesicles, and the cerebral hemispheres. The mid-brain (Fig. 37, B) is the smallest of the three divisions, and gives rise to the optic lobes and to the Sylvian aqueduct. ‘The hind-brain is continued into the more posterior medullary tube. It lies in the same plane with the medullary tube, and repre- sents only a somewhat enlarged part of the tube. The hind- brain becomes the medulla oblongata, and from its roof the cerebellum is formed. | The roof of the fore-brain is very thin. Near the middle of its upper margin an evagination is formed, which is, at first, only a hollow diverticulum (Fig. 37, B), but when the tadpole leaves its capsule, the peripheral end of the outgrowth forms a { \ Cu. XV] ORGANS FROM THE ECTODERM 161 small round knob. ‘This knob, the pineal body, lies just below the surface-ectoderm. Later the structure grows forward, and becomes dilated at its distal end. The dilated end or bulb re- mains connected with the brain by a stalk. White particles develop in the bulb, so that it stands out in strong contrast to the dark surface of the brain. At the time of closure of the medullary folds, a mid-ventral diverticulum forms from the floor of the fore-brain. ‘This is the infundibulum. It is in close contact with the anterior end of the notochord (Fig. 38). The infundibulum is throughout its subsequent history a wide sac with thin walls. It soon comes into close connection with another structure, the pitui- tary body (Fig. 39). The pituitary body arises very early, even before the neural tube is closed, as a solid ingrowth, or cord of cells, from the ectoderm, immediately in front of the anterior end of the medullary plate (Fig. 37, A). Later, this small, solid, tongue-like process projects inward from the ectoderm beneath the brain and above the dorsal wall of the pharynx. ‘The inner end of the ingrowth expands into a flat- tened mass of cells, which lies immediately beneath the anterior end of the notochord. This mass becomes later the pituitary body, while the rest of the process forms a slender stalk con- nected at one end with the ectoderm. THE EYES The eyes develop in part from the walls of the fore-brain. Even before the neural tube is closed, in the embryos of some species of frogs, two pigmented areas may be seen on the an- tero-lateral walls at the anterior end of the infolding medullary plate. These pigmented areas mark the region from which a pair of evaginations of the fore-brain will develop to form the optic vesicles. The hollow vesicles push out laterally toward the sides of the head. Each tubular evagination then becomes constricted, forming a distal hollow bulb and a proximal hollow stalk (Fig. 49). The bulb gives rise to the retina and to the pigment behind the retina, while, according to Marshall (93), the stalk forms a path along which the fibres of the optic nerve pass from the eye to the brain. The outer hemisphere of the optic bulb flattens and then pushes in so that the former M 162 DEVELOPMENT OF THE FROG’S EGG (Cu. XV cavity of the vesicle is.nearly obliterated (Fig. 49); and at the same time the inturned wall becomes greatly thickened. There is thus formed an open, cup-shaped structure with the opening of the cup turned outward. The wall of this optic cup lying toward the brain remains thin, and pig- ment soon appears in it. The inturned wall becomes the retina of the eye. At the time when the optic bulb turns in on it- self, a thickening of the inner layer of ectoderm op- posite the optic cup takes place. This thickening forms a solid mass of cells projecting into the open mouth of the cup. It be- Fic. 49.— Cross-section through head and comes hollow and then ci eyes. F. Fore-brain. L. Lens of eye. arates from the ectoderm GP. Onc sun, O8 One sal: FH (Pig, 49), filing up the modzeum. opening of the optic cup, and forms later the lens of the eye. In the space left between the lens and the retinal layer the vitreous body of the eye forms. The later stages of the development of the eye take place after the embryo leaves its capsule. ‘The nerve-fibres that develop from the retina and pass into the brain along the optic stalks have not yet appeared, THE EARS While the neural groove is closing, a pair of thickened circu- lar patches of the inner layer of the ectoderm arises, one on each side of the head near the hind-brain. After the closure of the neural tube each area forms a shallow pit with the con- cavity turned outward, and each is covered by the outer layer of the ectoderm. The pit deepens, the outer edges come together, and a hollow vesicle is formed before the tadpole Cu. XV] ORGANS FROM THE ECTODERM 163 leaves the capsule. These auditory vesicles separate from the surface ectoderm. “At the time of the separation the vesicle is a closed sac somewhat pyriform in shape; its lower or ventral portion being spheri- eal and lying opposite the notochord, and its dorsal wall being prolonged up- wards into a short blind diverticulum lying at the side of the hind-brain. The wall of the vesicle consists of a single layer of cubical or columnar cells.” This ectodermal sac becomes the Fic. 50.—Cross-section through hind- sensory lining of the inner eee: See MAE. (Eo ear (Fig. 50). THE NERVES At the time when the medullary plate forms as a thickening of the ectoderm, there also forms, as we have seen, on each side of the plate a lateral neural ridge or plate of ectoderm. Each neural ridge appears at first as a continuation of one side of the thickened medullary plate (Fig. 26). werres ay as ana AMPED Nee yee © al a of he Mg 3 MS ha Sy €, +4 ee ne si Seow etree meats Was a oe eh ss Ne t ss! 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