'CM UKIV.OF •p A LABORATORY MANUAL AND TEXT-BOOK of EMBRYOLOGY By CHARLES WILLIAM PRENTISS iii LATE PROFESSOR OP MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL, CHICAGO Revised and Rewritten by LESLIE BRAINERD AREY PROFESSOR OF MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY AT THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL THIRD EDITION, ENLARGED WITH 388 ILLUSTRATIONS MANY IN COLOR PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON W. B. SAUNDERS COMPANY 1922 Copyright, 1915, by W. B. Saunders Company. Reprinted August, 1915. Revised, entirely reset. reprinted, and recopyrighted October, 1917. Reprinted July, 1918. Revised, .entirely reset, reprinted, and recopyrighted August, 1920 . Copyright, 1920, by W. B. Saunders Company Reprinted February, 1921 Reprinted January, 1922 MADE IN U. S. A PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION THE rapid exhaustion of the second edition of this text has hastened the appearance of the present volume. Its contents have again been sub- jected to a systematic revision which affects each chapter more or less pro- foundly. The addition of much new material and the recasting and modifying of former descriptions will result, it is hoped, in a two-fold gain, without appreciably increasing the size of the book. L. B. A. CHICAGO, ILL. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION THE untimely death of Professor Prentiss has made necessary the transfer of his 'Embryology' into other hands. In this second edition, however, the general plan and scope of the book remain unchanged although the actual descrip- tions have been extensively recast, rewritten, and rearranged. A new chapter on the Morphogenesis of the Skeleton and Muscles covers briefly a subject not included hitherto. Forty illustrations replace or supplement certain of those in the former edition. In preparing the present manuscript a definite attempt has been made to render the descriptions as clear and consistent as is compatible with brevity and accuracy. It has likewise been essayed to evaluate properly the embryological contributions of recent years, and, by incorporating the fundamental advances, to indicate the trend of modern tendencies. Since no page remains in its entirety as originally penned by Professor Prentiss, the reviser must assume full respon- sibility for the subject-matter as it now stands. It is hoped that those who read this text will co-operate with the writer by freely offering criticisms and suggestions. L. B. A. in PREFACE THIS book represents an attempt to combine brief descriptions of the verte- brate embryos which are studied in the laboratory with an account of human embryology adapted especially to the medical student. Professor Charles Sedg- wick Minot, in his laboratory textbook of embryology, has called attention to the value of dissections in studying mammalian embryos and asserts that "dissection should be more extensively practised than is at present usual in embryological work ." The writer has for several years experimented with methods of dissecting pig embryos, and his results form a part of this book. The value of pig embryos for laboratory study was first emphasized by Professor Minot, and the development of my dissecting methods was made possible through the reconstructions of his former students, Dr. F. T. Lewis and Dr. F. W. Thyng. The chapters on human organogenesis were partly based on Keibel and Mall's Human Embryology. We wish to acknowledge the courtesy of the pub- lishers of Kollmann's Handatlas, Marshall's Embryology, Lewis-Stohr's Histology and McMurrich's Development of the Human Body, by whom permission was granted us to use cuts and figures from these texts. We are also indebted to Professor J. C. Heisler for permission to use cuts from his Embryology, and to Dr. J. B. De Lee for several figures taken from his "Principles and Practice of Obstetrics." The original figures of chick, pig and human embryos are from preparations in the collection of the anatomical laboratory of the Northwestern University Medical School. My thanks are due to Dr. H. C. Tracy for the loan of valuable human material, and also to Mr. K. L. Vehe for several reconstruc- tions and drawings. C. W. PRENTISS. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL. r CONTENTS PACE INTRODUCTION i CHAPTER I. — THE GERM CELLS: MITOSIS, MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION 7 The Ovum 7 Ovulation and Menstruation 10 The Spermatozoon 1 1 Mitosis and Amitosis 12 Maturation 14 Fertilization 20 CHAPTER II.— CLEAVAGE AND THE ORIGIN OF THE GERM LAYERS 24 Cleavage in Amphioxus, Amphibia, Reptiles and Birds 24 Cleavage in Mammals 27 The formation of Ectoderm and Entoderm (Gastrulation) 28 Origin of the Mesoderm, Notochord and Neural Tube 30 The Notochord 36 CHAPTER III. — THE STUDY OF CHICK EMBRYOS 37 Chick Embryo of Twenty Hours 37 Chick Embryo of Twenty-five Hours (7 Segments) 39 Transverse Sections 41 Chick Embryo of Thirty-eight Hours (17 segments) 45 General Anatomy 45 Transverse Sections 48 Derivatives of the Germ Layers 55 Chick Embryo of Fifty Hours (27 segments) 56 General Anatomy 56 Transverse Sections 61 Extra-embryonic Structures 66 CHAPTER IV. — HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES 7<> Fetal Membranes of the Pig Embryo 7° The Umbilical Cord 72 Early Human Embryos and Their Membranes 73 Anatomy of a 4.2 mm. Human Embryo 81 The Age of Human Embryos 89 CHAPTER V. — THE STUDY OF PIG EMBRYOS 9' The Anatomy of a 6 mm. Pig Embryo 91 External Form and Internal Anatomy 91 Transverse Sections 105 The Anatomy of 10-12 mm. Pig. Embryos 114 External Form and Internal Anatomy 114 Transverse Sections 127 CHAPTER VI. — THE DISSECTION OF PIG EMBRYOS: DEVELOPMENT OF THE FACE, PALATE, TONGUE, SALIVARY GLANDS, AND TEETH '39 Directions for Dissecting Pig Embryos 139 Dissections of 18-35 mm- Embryos '42 Development of the Face 146 Development of the Palate '48 Development of the Tongue '5' Development of the Salivary Glands '53 Development of the Teeth 1 54 CHAPTER VII. — THE ENTODERMAL CANAL AND ITS DERIVATIVES 161 The Pharyngeal Pouches and their Derivatives '62 The Thyreoid Gland 166 The Larynx, Trachea and Lungs '66 vii viii CONTENTS PAGE The Esophagus, Stomach and Intestine r?° The Liver [£ The Pancreas * '* The Body Cavities, Diaphragm and Mesenteries CHAPTER VIII.— THE UROGENITAL SYSTEM l'c. I (melaphase) <'c. I (prophase) Spermatogonium Sp'g. (anaphase) FIG. 9. — Stages in the spermatogenesis of man arranged in a composite to represent a portion of a seminiferous tubule sectioned transversely. X 900. become the axial filament, and the cytoplasm forms the sheaths of the neck and tail. The spiral filament of the connecting piece is derived from the cytoplasmic mitochondria. The way in which the number of chromosomes is reduced may be seen in the spermatogenesis of Ascaris (Fig. n). Four chromosomes are typical for Ascaris megalocephala bivalens and each spermatogone contains this number. In the early prophase of the primary spermatocyte there appears a spireme thread consisting of four parallel rows of granules (5). This thread breaks in two and forms two quadruple structures known as tetrads (D-F) ; each is equivalent to two original chromosomes, paired side 16 THE GERM CELLS : MITOSIS, MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION by side and split lengthwise to make a bundle of four. At the metaphase (£) each tetrad divides into its two original chromosomes which air show evidence of longitudinal fission and are termed dyads. One pair of dyads goes to each of the daughter cells, or secondary spermatocytes (G-I). Without the formation of a nuclear membrane, the second maturation spindle appears at once, the two dyads split into four monads, and each daughter spermatid receives two single chromosomes (monads), or one-half the number characteristic for the species. The tetrad, therefore, repre- C E F FIG. io.— Diagrams of the development of spermatozoa (after Meves in Lewis and Stohr). a.c., Anterior centrosome; a./., axial filament; c.p., connecting piece; ch.p., chief piece; g.c., cap; n., nucleus; nk., neck; p., protoplasm; p.c., posterior centrosome. sents a precocious division of the chromosomes in preparation for two rapidly succeeding cell divisions which occur without the intervention of the customary resting periods. The easily understood tetrads are not formed in most animals, although the outcome of maturation is identical in either case. A diagram of maturation is shown in Fig. 12. The first maturation division in Ascaris is probably reductional, each daughter nucleus receiving two complete chromosomes of the original four, whereas in the second maturation division, as in ordinary mitosis, each daughter nucleus receives a half of each of the two chromosomes, these being split lengthwise. In the latter case the division is equational, each daughter nucleus receiving chromosomes bearing similar hereditary qualities. In some animals the sequence of events is reversed, reduction occurring at the second maturation division. In many insects and some vetebrates MATURATION it has been shown that the number of chromosomes in theoogoniaiseven, the number in the spermatogonia odd. An exact halving of the sperma- togonial number of chromosomes can not occur in such cases (p. 23). \ K FIG. II. — Reduction of chromosomes in the spermatogenesis of Ascaris megalocephala bivalens (Brauer, Wilson). X about I loo. A-G, successive stages in the division of the pri- mary spermatocyte'. The original reticulum undergoes a very early division of the chromatin granules which then form a quadruply split spireme (5, in profile). This becomes shorter (C, in profile), and then breaks in two to form two tetrads (D, in profile), (E, on end). F, G, H, first division to form two secondary spermatocytes, each receiving two dyads. /, secondary sperma- tocyte. J, K, the same dividing. L, two resulting spermatids, each containing two monads or chromosomes. Oogenesis. — During oogenesis, the ova undergo a similar process of maturation. Two cell divisions take place, but with this difference: the cleavage is unequal, and, instead of four cells of equal size resulting, there are formed one large ripe ovum, or oocyte, and three rudimentary or abor- tive ova known as polar bodies, or polocytes. The number of chromosomes 1 8 THE GERM CELLS: MITOSIS, MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION is reduced in the same manner as in the spermatocyte, so that the ripe ovum and each polar cell contain one-half the number of chromosomes found in the immature ovum or primary oocyte. The primitive female germ cells, from which new ova are produced by cell division, are called oogonia and their daughter cells after a period of growth within the ovary are the primary oiicytes, comparable to the primary spermatocytes of the male (Fig. 12). During maturation the ovum and first polocyte are termed secondary oiicytes (comparable to secondary spermatocytes) ; the mature ovum and second polocyte, with Spermatogonium B Oogonium Proliferation period Spermatocyte I Spermatocyte 2 Spermatids Spermatozoa Oocyte 2 (ovum and polocyte i) Ovum and three polo- cytes Growth period Maturation period Transforma- tion period oj spermatozoa 1234 1234 FIG. 12. — Diagrams of maturation in spermatogenesis and oogenesis (Boveri). the daughter cells of the first polocyte, are comparable to the spermatids. Each spermatid, however, may form a mature spermatozoon, but only one of the four daughter cells of the primary oocyte becomes a mature ovum. The ovum develops at the expense of the three polocytes which are abortive and degenerate eventually, though it has been shown that in the ova of some insects the polar cell may be fertilized and segment several times like a normal ovum. In most animals, the actual division of the first polocyte into two daughter cells is suppressed. The nucleus of the ovum after maturation is known as the female pronudeus. Maturation of the Mouse Ovum. — Typical maturation stages may be studied in the easily obtained ova of the mouse (Long and Mark, Carnegie Inst. Publ. No. 142). The first polocyte is formed while the ovum is MATURATION still in the Graafian follicle. In the formation of the maturation spindle, no astral rays and no typical centrosomes have been observed. The chromosomes are V-shaped. The first polar cell is constricted from the ovum and lies beneath the zona pellucida as a spherical mass about 25 micra in diameter (Fig. 13). Both ovum and polar cell (secondary a I J FIG. 13. — Maturation and fertilization of the ovum of the mouse (after Sobotta). A, C-J, X 500; B X 750. A -D, entrance of the spermatozoon and formation of the polar cells. D-E, development of the pronuclei. F-J, successive stage in the first division of the fer- tilized ovum. oocytes) contain 20 chromosomes, or half the number normal for the mouse. The first maturation division is the reductional one and the chromosomes take the form of tetrads. After ovulation has taken place, the ovum lies in the ampulla of the uterine tube. If fertilization occurs, a second polocyte is cut off, the nucleus of the ovum forming no membrane between the production of 20 THE GERM CELLS: MITOSIS, MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION the first and second polar bodies (Fig. 13 A-D). The second maturation spindle and second polar cell are smaller than the first. Immediately after the formation of the second polar cell, the chromosomes resolve them- selves into a reticulum and the female pronucleus is formed (Fig. 13 D). Maturation of the Human Ovum.— The only observations are those of Thompson (1919), who believes to have identified stages in the forma- tion of all three polar cells prior to ovulation or fertilization. The evi- dence presented, however, can hardly be accepted as conclusive. FERTILIZATION The stimulus initiating development in most multicellular animals is furnished by a spermatozoon which penetrates the ovum and fuses with its nucleus. These events constitute fertilization. Only motile spermatozoa are able to attach to the surface of an egg; it is probable that forces allied to phagocytosis, rather than vibrational energy, accomplish the actual 'penetration.' Spermatozoa may enter the mammalian ovum at any point. If fertilization is delayed too long after ovulation, the ovum may be weakened and allow the entrance of several spermatozoa. This is known as polyspermy. In such cases, how- ever, only one spermatozoon unites with the female pronucleus. The fundamental results of the process of fertilization are: (i) the union of the male and female chromosomes to form the cleavage nucleus of the fertilized ovum; (2) the initiation of cell division, or cleavage of the ovum. These two factors are separate and independent phenomena. It has been shown by Boveri and others that fragments of sea urchin's ova containing no part of the nucleus may be fertilized by spermatozoa, segment, and develop into larvas. The female chromosomes are thus not essential to the process of segmentation. Loeb, on the other hand, has shown that the ova of invertebrates may be made to develop by chemical and mechanical means without the cooperation of the spermatozoon (artificial parthenogenesis) . Even adult frogs have been reared from mechanically stimulated eggs. It is well known that the ova of certain invertebrates develop normally without fertilization, that is, parthenogenetically. These facts show that the union of the male and female pronuclei is not the means of initiat- ing the development of the ova. In all vertebrates it is, nevertheless, the end and aim of fertilization. Lillie (1912; 1913) has recently shown that the cortex of sea urchin's ova produces a substance which he terms fertilizin. This substance he regards as an amboceptor essential to fertilization, with one side chain which agglutinates and attracts the spermatozoa, and another side chain which activates the cytoplasm and initiates the cleavage of the ovum. According to Loeb (1916), agglutination is proved in but few forms and Lillie's interpreta- tion fails to meet all the facts. Loeb (1913) holds that the spermatozoon actually acti- vates the ovum to develop by increasing its oxidations and by rendering it immune to the toxic effects of oxidation. Fertilization of the Mouse Ovum. — -Normally, a single spermatozoon enters the ovum six to ten hours after coitus. While the second polar cell is forming, the spermatozoon penetrates the ovum and loses its tail. Its FERTIM/AIUiS 21 head enlarges and is converted into the male pronucleus (Fig. 13 D). The pronuclei, male and female, approach each other and resolve themselves first into a spireme stage, then into two groups of 20 chromosomes. A centrosome, possibly that of the male cell, appears between them, divides into two, and soon the first cleavage spindle is formed (F-H). The 20 male and 20 female chromosomes arrange themselves in the equatorial plane of the spindle, thus making the original number of 40 (7). Fer- tilization is now complete and the ovum divides in the ordinary way, the daughter cells each receiving equal numbers of maternal and paternal chromosomes. Fertilization of the Human Ovum. — Spermatozoa, deposited in the vagina at coitus, ascend through the uterus and uterine tubes, their course being directed by the downward stroking cilia (p. 12). They probably reach the ampulla of the uterine tube two or more hours after coitus. Here the penetration of the ovum is believed usually to take place about one day after coitus (Mall, 1918, cf. p. 12) although it has never been observed. This conclusion is supported by direct observation on other mammals and by the frequency of tubal pregnancies at this site. Normally, then, the embryo begins its development in the uterine tube, thence passes to the uterus and becomes embedded in the uterine mucosa. Rarely ova may be fertilized and start developing before they enter the tube, but fertilization within the uterus is usually denied. Twin Development. — Usually but one human ovum is produced and fertilized at coitus. The development of two or more embryos within the uterus is commonly due to the ripening, expulsion, and subsequent fertilization of an equal number of ova. In such cases ordinary, or fraternal twins, triplets, and so on, of the same or opposite sex, result. Iden- tical, or duplicate twins, that is, those always of the same sex and strikingly similar in form and feature, are believed to arise from the fission of the embryonic cell mass, each portion then developing as a separate embryo within the common chorion. The identical quadru- plets of certain armadillos are known to result from the division of a single blastoderm into four parts. Separate development of the cleavage cells can also be produced experimen- tally in many of the lower animals. Double Monsters. — Occasionally twins are conjoined. All degrees of union, from almost complete separation to fusion throughout the entire body-length, are known. If there is considerable disparity in size, the smaller is termed the parasite; in such cases the extent of attachment and dependency grades down to included twin (fetus in fetu) and tumor-like fetal inclusions. In some asymmetrical monsters the duplication is partial, as doubling of the head or legs, All of these terata, like identical twins, are regarded as the products of a single ovum, but with variably incomplete fission, or bifurcation, of the embryonic mass. Superfetation. — An ovum, liberated by a pregnant woman and fertilized at a later coitus, may develop into a second, younger fetus. This rare condition, often denied, is called superfetation and is not to be confused with strikingly unequal twin development. Until the fourth month of pregnancy superfetation is theoretically possible (p. 237). 22 THE GERM CELLS: MITOSIS, MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION The Significance of Mitosis, Maturation and Fertilization. — The complicated proc- esses of mitosis serve the purpose of accurately dividing the chromatic substance of the nucleus in such a way that the self-perpetuating chromosomes of each daughter cell may be the same both quantitatively and qualitatively. This is of importance since it is believed by most students of heredity that chromatin particles, or genes, in the chromo- somes bear the hereditary characters, and that these are arranged in definite linear order in particular chromosomes. At maturation there is a side by side union of like chromo- somes, one member of each pair having come from the father, the other from the mother of the preceding generation; each member, however, carries the same general set of heredi- tary characters as its mate. At this stage of chromosomal conjugation there may be an interchange, or 'crossing over,' of corresponding genes, resulting in new hereditary combinations. The reducing division of maturation separates whole chromosomes of each pair, but chance alone governs the actual assortment of paternal and maternal mem- bers to the daughter cells; this mitosis obviously halves the chromosome number char- acteristic for the species. The significance of the equational maturation mitosis, beyond accomplishing mere cellular multiplication, is obscure. Fertilization initiates development and restores the original number of chromosome pairs (cf. p. 20). The fertilized ovum derives its nuclear substance equally from both parents, the cytoplasm and yolk almost entirely from the mother, the centrosome probably from the father. Mendel's Law of Heredity. — Experiments show that most hereditary characters fall into two opposing groups, the contrasted pairs of which are termed allelomorphs. As an example, we may take the hereditary tendencies for black and blue eyes. It is believed that there are paired chromatic particles, or genes, which are responsible for these hereditary tendencies, and that paired spermatogonial chromosomes bear one each of these genes. Each chromosome pair in separate germ cells may possess similar genes, both bearing black-eyed tendencies or both blue-eyed tendencies, or opposing genes, bearing the one black, the other blue-eyed tendencies. It is assumed that at maturation these paired genes are separated along with the chromosomes, and that one only of each pair is retained in each germ cell. In our example, either a blue-eyed or a black-eyed tendency-bearing particle would be retained. At fertilization the segregated genes of one sex may enter into new combina- tions with those from the other sex. Three combinations are possible. If the color of the eyes be taken as the hereditary character: (i) two 'black' germ cells may unite; (2) two 'blue' germ cells may unite; (3) a 'black' germ cell may unite with a 'blue' germ cell. The offspring in (i) will all have black eyes, and, if interbred, their progeny will likewise inherit black eyes exclusively. Similarly, the offspring in (2), and if these are interbred their progeny as well, will include nothing but blue-eyed individuals. The first generation from the cross in (3) will have black eyes solely, for black in the present example is dominant, as it is termed. Such black-eyed individuals, nevertheless, possess both black- and blue- eyed bearing genes their germ in cells; in the progeny resulting from the interbreeding of this class the original condition is repeated— pure blacks, impure blacks which hold blue recessive, and pure blues will be formed in the ratio of 1:3:1 respectively. It is thus seen that blue-eyed children may be born of black-eyed parents, whereas blue-eyed parents can never have black-eyed offspring. Many such allelomorphic pairs of hereditary characters are known. Cytoplasmic Inheritance.— Certain eggs show distinct cytoplasmic zones which cleavage later segregates into groups of cells destined to form definite organs or parts. In a sense this represents a refined sort of preformation, but prelocalization is a more exact FERTILIZATION 23 term. From these facts Conklin and Loeb argue that the cytoplasm is really the embryo in the rough, the nucleus, through Mendelian heredity, adding only the finer details. Morgan, among others, refuses to admit the validity of this interpretation. The Determination of Sex.— The assumption that the chromosomes are the carriers of hereditary tendencies is borne out by experimental breeding (Morgan) and by the corre- lated observations of cytologists on the germ cells of invertebrates, especially insects, and of some vertebrates. According to Winiwarter (Arch, de Biol., T. 27, 1912) the nuclei of human spermatogonia contain 47 chromosomes, while those of the oogonia contain 48. When the reduction of chromosomes takes place in the male cells, one unpaired chromo- some fails to divide and passes intact to one or the other daughter cells; hence half of the spermatids contain 24 chromosomes, the other half only 23. All the oocytes and polocytes, on the contrary, contain 24. There is thus one extra chromosome in each mature ovum and in each of half the spermatozoa. This chromosome, because of peculiarities of size or shape, can be identified easily in many animals, and is termed the accessory X,or sex chromosome. McClung was the first to assume that the X chromosome is a sex detriminant. It has siifce been shown by Wilson and others that the sex chromosome carries the female sexual characters. When, in the case under consideration, a spermatozoon with 24 chromosomes fertilizes an ovum, the resulting embryo is a female, its somatic nuclei containing 48 chromosomes. An ovum fertilized by a sperm cell containing only 23 chromosomes (without the sex chromosome) produces a male with somatic nuclei con- taining but 47 chromosomes. These observations of Winiwarter on man have not yet been confirmed by other investigators. There is no reason to doubt, however, that sex is determined in man essentially in the manner described, which agrees with the easily observed phenomena in insects. In certain moths and birds the sex chromosome system is the exact reverse of the common scheme just explained, but the operation of the mechanism is otherwise similar. The spermatozoa of these forms are all alike in chromosome constitution while the eggs are cf two sorts. CHAPTER II CLEAVAGE OF THE FERTILIZED OVUM AND THE ORIGIN OF THE GERM LAYERS CLEAVAGE THE processes of cleavage, or segmentation, not having been ob- served in human ova, must be studied in other vertebrates. It is probable that the early development of all vertebrates is, in its essentials, the same. Cleavage may be modified, however, by the presence in the ovum of large quantities of nutritive yolk. In many vertebrate ova the yolk collects at one end, termed the vegetal pole, in contrast to the more purely proto- plasmic animal pole. Such ova are said to bejelolecithal. Examples are the ova of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. When very little yolk is present, the ovum is said to b&^solecithal. Examples are the ova of Amphioxus, the higher mammals, and man. The typical processes of cleavage may be studied most easily in the fertilized ova of invertebrates (Echinoderms, Annelids, and Mollusks). Among Chordates, the early processes in development are primitive in a fish-like form, Amphioxus. The yolk modifies the development of the amphibian and bird egg, while the early structure of the mammalian embryo can be explained only by assuming that the ova of the higher Mammalia at one time contained a considerable amount of yolk, like the ovum of the bird and of the lowest mammals, and the influence of this condition persists. Cleavage in Amphioxus. — -The ovum is essentially isolecithal, since it contains but little yolk (Fig. 14). About one hour after fertilization it divides vertically into two nearly equal daughter cells, or blastomeres. The process is known as cell cleavage, or segmentation, and takes place by mitosis. Within the next hour the daughter cells again cleave in the vertical plane, at right angles to the first division, thus forming four cells. Fifteen minutes later a third division takes place in a horizontal plane. As the yolk is somewhat more abundant at the vegetal pole of the four cells, the mitotic spindles lie nearer the animal pole. Consequently, in the eight-celled stage the upper tier of four cells is smaller than the lower four. By successive cleavages, first in the vertical, then in the horizontal plane a 16- and 32-celled embryo is formed. The upper two tiers are now smaller, and a cavity, the blastoccde, is enclosed by the cells. The embryo at this stage is sometimes called a morula because of its resemblance to a 24 CLEAVAGE mulberry. In subsequent cleavages, as development proceeds, the size of the cells is diminished while the cavity enlarges (Fig. 14). The embryo FIG. 14. — Cleavage of the egg of Amphioxus (after Hatschi-k). X 200. I. The egg be- fore the commencement of development; only one polar body, P.B., is present, the other having been lost during ovulation. 2. The ovum in the act of dividing, by a vertical cleft, into two equal blastomeres. 3. Stage with four equal blastomeres. 4. Stage with eight blastomeres; an upper tier of four slightly smaller ones and a lower tier of four slightly larger ones. 5. Stage with sixteen blastomeres in two tiers, each of eight. 6. Stage with thirty-two blastomeres, in four tiers, each of eight ; the embryo is represented bisected to show the cleavage cavity or blasto- cosle, B. 7. Later stage; the blastomeres have increased in number by further division. 8, Blastula stage bisected to show the blastoccele, B. is now a blastula, nearly spherical in form and about four hours old. The cleavage of the Amphioxus ovum is thus holoblastic, that is, complete, and nearly equal. 26 CLEAVAGE AND THE GERM LAYERS Cleavage in Amphibia.— These ova contain so much yolk that the nucleus and most of the cytoplasm lie at the upper, or animal pole, first cleavage spindle appears eccentrically in this cytoplasm. The first cleavage planes are vertical and at right angles, and the four resulting cells are nearly equal. The spindles for the third cleavage are located near the animal pole, and the cleavage takes place in a horizontal plane. As a result, the upper four cells are much smaller than the lower four (Fig. 15 A). The large, yolk-laden cells divide more slowly than the upper, small cells (B-D). At the blastula stage, the cavity is small, and the cells of? the vegetal pole are each many times larger than those at the animal pole (E,F). The cleavage of the frog's ovum is thus complete but unequal. ent. b'p "^••^ "^^ k b'P- E F G FIG. 15. — Cleavage and gastrulation in the frog. Xi2. A-D, cleavage stages ; E, blastula; F, blastula in median section; G, early gastrula; H, median section of stage G. an., Animal cells; arch., archenteron; b'c., blastocoele; b'p., blastopore; eel., ectoderm; ent., entoderm; v'g., vegetal cells. « Cleavage in Reptiles and Birds. — The ova of these vertebrates contain a large amount of yolk. There is very little pure cytoplasm except at the animal pole, and here the nucleus is located (Fig. 3). When segmentation begins, the first cleavage plane is vertical but the inert yolk does not cleave. The segmentation is thus meroblastic, or incomplete. In the hen's ovum, the cytoplasm is divided by successive vertical furrows into a mosaic of cells, which, as it increases in size, forms a cap-like structure upon the surface of the yolk (Fig. 16 A). These cells are separated from the yolk beneath by horizontal cleavage furrows, and successive horizontal cleav- ages give rise to several layers of cells (Fig. 16 B). The space between cells and yolk mass may be compared to the blastula cavity of Amphioxus and the frog (Fig. 18). The cellular cap is termed the germinal disc, or blastoderm. The yolk mass, which forms the floor of the blastula cavity Polar bodies. Outer cells Inner ceils. Inner cells. Outer cells. FIG. 17. — Diagrams showing the cleavage of the mammalian (rabbit's) ovum and the formation of the blastodermic vesicle (Allen Thomson, after van Beneden). X 200. CLEAVAGE and the greater part of the ovum, may be compared to the large, yolk- laden cells at the vegetal pole of the frog's blastula. The yolk mass never divides but is gradually used up in supplying nutriment to the embryo which is developed from the cells of the germinal disc. At the periphery of the blastoderm new cells constantly form until they enclose the yolk (Fig- 1 8 C). Blastomere Blastocalt , -: ty. .'. .•-•••_••.•>•«. • •• .. .•/ A B FIG. 16. — Cleavage of the pigeon's ovum (after Blount). A, blastoderm in surface view; B, in vertical section. Cleavage in Mammals. — The ovum of all the higher mammals, like that of man, is isolecithal and nearly microscopic in size. Its cleavage has been studied in several mammals but the rabbit's ovum will serve as an example. The cleavage is complete and nearly equal (Pig. 17), a cluster of approximately uniform cells being formed within th '"'•"' 1 HI Yolk Ccelom FIG. 54.— Diagrammatic transverse section of a vertebrate embryo (adapted from Minot). Ccelom.— The cavity between the somatopleure and Splanchnopleure the ccelom (body cavity). With the splitting of the mesoderm, isolated cavities are produced. These unite on each side and eventually form one cavity-the coelom. With the extension of the mesoderm, the ccelom surrounds the heart and gut ventrally (Fig. 54). Later, it is subdivided , EMHRYO OF SEVENTEEN SEGMENTS 55 into the pericardial cavity about the heart, the pkural cavity of the thorax, and the peritoneal cavity of the abdominal region. In the chick stages already studied, the embryo was flattened on the surface of the yolk and and the somatopleure and splanchnopleure did not meet ventrally. If this union occurred they would conform to the structural relations shown in Fig. 54, which is essentially the ground plan of the vertebrate body. Mesenchyme. — In the sections through the head of this embryo, and through that of the preceding stage, but four primitive segments were found. The greater part of the mesoderm in the head appears in the form of an undifferentiated network of cells which fill in the spaces between the defi- nite layers (epithelia). This tissue is mesenchyme (Fig. 55). The meso- derm may be largely converted into mesenchyme, as in the head, or any of the mesodermal layers may contribute to its formation. Thus, it may be Ectoderm Mesenchyme FIG- 55- — Mesenchyme from the head of a thirty-eight-hour chick embryo. X 495- derived from the primitive segments and from the somatic and splanchnic mesoderm. The cells of the mesenchyme form a syncytium, or network, and are at first packed closely together. -Later, they may form a more open network with cytoplasmic processes extending from cell to cell (Fig. 55). The mesenchyme is an important tissue of the embryo; from it are differentiated the blood and lymphatic systems, together with most of the smooth muscle, connective tissue, and skeletal tissue of the body. The body of the embryo is now composed: (i) of cells arranged in layers — epithelia, and (2) of diffuse mesenchyme. The term 'epithelium' is used in a general sense. Those epithelial layers lining the body cavities are termed mesothelia, while those lining the blood vessels and lymphatics are called endothelia. Derivatives of the Germ Layers. — The tissues of the adult are de- rived from the epithelia and mesenchyme of the three germ layers as follows : THE STUDY OF CHICK EMBRYOS formed by the invaginated ectoderm. The median, ectodermal pouch next the brain wall is known as Rathke's pouch and is the anlage of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis. The pharynx shows laterally three out- pocketings, of which the first is wing-like and is the largest. These phar- yngeal pouches occur opposite the three branchial grooves and here entoderm Optic vesicle Aperture of lens vesicl Splanclmoplcnre Splanchnic mesoderm R. vitelline drier Mesodermal segment Segments! son Neural plate Entodern Primitive knot Mid-brain Hind-brain Notochord Olocyst iortic arches I, 2, j Ant. cardinal vein Atrium Common cardinal vein Posl.cardinal vein Descending aorta Liver anlage Intestinal portal Entoderm Somatopleure 'Spinal cord . vitelline artery Edge of splanchnic mesoderm Mesodermal segment Vascular plexus Kolochord Hind-gut FIG. 57.— Semi-diagrammatic reconstruction of a fifty-hour chick embryo, in ventral view le entoderm has been removed save in the region of the intestinal portal and hind- gut. Owing to the torsion of the embryo, the cranial third of the embryo is seen from the left side, the caudal two-thirds in ventral view. and ectoderm are in contact, forming the closing plates. At about this stage the first closing plate ruptures, thereby forming a free opening, or branchial cleft, into the pharynx. Between the pouches are developed the branchial arches, in which course the paired aortic arches. Toward the tmal portal the fore-gut is flattened laterally, and before it opens out EMBRYO OF TWENTY-SEVEN SEGMENTS 59 into the mid-gut there is budded off ventrally a bilobed structure, the anlage of the liver (Figs. 57 and 63). It lies between the vitelline veins, and in its later development the veins are broken up into the sinusoids, or blood spaces of the liver. Just as the entoderm participates in the head fold to form the fore- gut, so in the tail fold it forms the hind-gut. This at once gives rise to a tubular outgrowth which becomes the allantois, one of the fetal membranes to be described later (Fig. 70). Blood Vascular System.— The tubular heart is flexed in the form of a letter S, when seen from the ventral side (Fig. 57). Four regions may be distinguished: (i) the sinus venosus, into which the veins open; (2) a dilated dorsal chamber, the atrium; (3) a tubular ventral portion flexed in the form of a U, of which the left limb is the ventricle, the right limb (4) the bulbus cordis. From the bulbus is given off the ventral aorta. There are now developed three pairs of aortic arches which open into the paired descending aortae. The first aortic arch passes cranial to the first pharyn- geal pouch and is the primitive arch seen in the thirty-eight-hour embryo. The second and third arches course on either side of the second pharyngeal pouch. They are developed by the enlargement of channels in primitive capillary networks between ventral and descending aortae. Opposite the sinus venosus, the paired aortic trunks fuse to form the single dorsal aorta which extends as far back as the fifteenth pair of primitive segments. At this point the aortae again separate, and, opposite the twentieth segments, each connects with the trunk of a vitelline artery which was developed in the vascular area and conveys the blood to it (Fig. 57). Caudal to the vitelline arteries the dorsal aortas rapidly decrease in size and soon end. As in the previous stage, the blood is-conveyed from the vascular area to the heart by the vitelline veins, now two large trunks. In the body of the embryo there have developed two pairs of veins. In the head have appeared the anterior cardinal veins, already of large size and lying lateral to the ventral region of the brain vesicles (Fig. 60). Caudal to the atrium of the heart, two small posterior cardinal veins are developed. They lie in the mesenchyma of the somatopleure, laterad in position (Fig. 63). Opposite the sinus venosus the anterior and posterior cardinal veins of each side unite and form the common cardinal veins (ducts of Cuvier) which open into the dorsal wall of the sinus venosus (Fig. 57). The primitive veins are thus paired like the arteries, and like them develop by the en- largement of channels in a network of capillaries. The following series of transverse sections from an embryo of this stage shows the more important structures. The approximate plane and level of each section may be ascertained by referring to Figs. 56 and 57. 6o THE STUDY OF CHICK EMBRYOS Hind-brain Notochord Ectoderm Lens vesicle Cavity of fore-brain Choriort Amnion Ant. cardinal win Aortic arch 1 ^ / , Somatic mesoderm Somaloptnire Splanchnopleure Aorta and vitelline Notochord artery FIG. 66. — Transverse section of a fifty-hour chick embryo, at the level of the origin of the vitel- line arteries. X 50. mesodermal segment shows a dorso-lateral myotome plate. The median and ventral por- tion of the segment is being converted into mesenchyme. On the right side appears a section of the primary excretory, or mcsoncphric duct. The embryonic somalopleure is arched and will form the future ventro-lateral body wall of the embryo. The lateral in- foldings of the somatopleure give indication of the later approximation of the ventral body walls, by which the embryo is separated from the underlying layers of the blastoderm. Section through the Origin of the Vitelline Arteries (Fig. 66). — At this level the em- bryo is more flattened and simpler in structure, the section resembling one through the Spinal cord Ectoderm 'ental •Somatic mesoderm Descending aorta I / Segmental zone Somatic mesoderm Splanchnic mesoderm / \ Clrlom Nolochord Entodi-rm FIG. 67. — Transverse section of a fifty-hour chick embryo through the segmental zone, caudal to the mesodermal segments. X 50. mid-gut region of a thirty-eight-hour chick (Fig. 49). The amniotic folds have not ap- peared. On the left side of the figure the vitelline artery leaves the aorta. On the right side the connection of the vitelline artery with the aorta does not show, as the section is cut somewhat obliquely. The posterior cardinal vein is present just laterad of the right mesonephric duct. The other structures were described in connection with Fig. 49. Section Caudal to the Mesodermal Segments (Fig. 67). — The mesodermal segments are replaced by the segmctital zone, a somewhat triangular mass of undifferentiated meso- derm from which later are formed the segments and nephrotomes. The notochord is larger, s 66 THE STUDY OF CHICK EMBRYOS the aortas smaller, and a few sections caudad they disappear. Laterally the somatopleure and splanchnopleure are straight and separated by the slit-like coelom. Section through the Notochordal Plate, Cranial to the Hind-gut (Fig. 68).— With the exception of the ectoderm, the structures near the median plane are merged into an undif- ferentiated mass of dense tissue, the notochordal plate. The cavity of the neural tube and its dorsal outline may, however, still be seen. Laterally the segmental zone and the various layers are differentiated. Neural lube Coelom Ectoderm Segmental zone Splanchnopleure / Notochordal plate Entoderm FIG. 68. — Transverse section of a fifty-hour chick embryo through the notochordal plate, cranial to the hind-gut. X 50. Section through the Hind-gut and Primitive Streak (Pig. 69). — In this embryo the cau- dal evagination to form the hind-gut has just begun. The section shows the small cavity of the hind-gut in the midplane. Its wall is composed of columnar entodermal cells and it is an outgrowth of the entodermal layer. A few sections cephalad in the series, the hind- gut opens by its own intestinal portal. Dorsal to the hind-gut may be seen undifferentiated cells of the primitive streak, continuous dorsad with the ectoderm, ventrad with the entoderm of the hind -gut, and laterally with the mesoderm. Somatic mesoderm Codom Primitive streak Ectoderm Somatopleure Splanchnopleure' / \""~ Hind-gut Entoderm FIG. 69. — Transverse section through the hind-gut of a fifty-hour chick embryo. X 50. Extra-embryonic Structures. — In the chick embryos 'which we have studied, there are large areas developed which are extra-embryonic, that is, lie outside the embryo. The splanchnopleure of the area vasculosa, for instance, forms the wall of the yolk sac, incomplete in the early stages. The amnion, chorion, and allantois are extra-embryonic membranes which make their appearance at the fifty-hour stage. These structures are important in mammalian and human embryos and a description of their further development in the chick, where their structure and mode of devel- opment is primitive, will lead up to the study of mammalian embryos in which the amnion and chorion are precociously developed. EMIiVRO OF TWENTY-SEVEN SEGMENTS 67 Amnion and Chorion. — These two membranes are developed in all amniote vertebrates (Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals). They are derived from the extra-embryonic somatopleure. The amnion is purely a protec- tive structure, but the chorion of mammals has a trophic function, as through it the embryo derives its nourishment from the uterine wall. Fig. 70 A shows the amnion and chorion developing. The head fold of the somatopleure forms and envelops the head, the tail fold makes its appearance later. The two folds extend lateral, meet and fuse (Fig. 70 B, C) . The inner leaf of the folds forms the amnion, the remainder of the extra-embryonic somatopleure becomes the chorion. The actual B FIG. 70. — Diagrams showing the development of the amnion, chorion and allantois in longitudinal section (Gegenbaur in McMurrich). Ectoderm, mesoderm, and entoderm repre- sented by heavy, light, and dotted lines respectively. Af., Amnion folds; Al., allantois; Am., amniotic cavity; Ch , chorion; Vs., yolk sac. appearance of these structures and their relation to the embryo have been seen in Figs. 63 and 64. The amnion, with its ectodermal layer inside, completely surrounds the embryo at the end of the third day, enclosing a cavity filled with amniotic fluid (Fig. 71). In this the embryo floats and is thus protected from injury. The chorion is of little importance to the chick. It is at first incomplete, but eventually entirely surrounds the embryo and its other appendages. Yolk Sac and Yolk Stalk; — • While the amnion and chorion are develop- ing during the second and third day, the embryo grows rapidly. The head and tail folds elongate and the trunk expands laterally until only a rela- tively narrow stalk of the splanchnopleure connects the embryo with the 68 THE STUDY OF CHICK EMBRYOS yolk. This portion of the splanchnopleure has grown more slowly than the body of the embryo and is termed the yolk stalk. It is continuous with the splanchnopleure that envelops the yolk and forms the yolk sac. The process of unequal growth, by which the embryo becomes separated from the blastoderm, has been falsely described as a process of constriction (see p. 80). The splanchnopleure at first forms only an oval plate on the surface of the yolk, but eventually encloses it. In Fig. 70, C and D, the relation of the embryo to the yolk sac is seen at the end of the first week of incubation. The vitelline vessels ramify on the surface of the yolk sac, and through them all the food material of the yolk is conveyed to the chick during the incubation period (about twenty-one days). Yolk sac Allantois Embryo Amnion Chorion Shell Air chamber Shell membrane Margin of area vasculosa FIG. 71. — Diagram of a chick embryo at the end of the fifth day, showing amnion, chorion and allantois (Marshall). X 1.5. Allantois. — We have seen that in the fifty-hour chick a ventral evagination, the hind-gut, develops near its caudal end '(Fig. 69). From it develops the anlage of the allantois, which, as an outgrowth of the splanch- nopleure, is lined with entoderm and covered with splanchnic mesoderm (Fig. 70). It develops rapidly into a vesicle connected to the hind-gut by a narrow stalk, the allantoic stalk. At the fifth day the allantois is nearly as large as the embryo (Fig. 71). Its wall flattens out beneath the chorion and finally it lies close to the shell but is attached only to the embryo. The functions of respiration and excretion are ascribed to it. In its ^ wall ramify the allantoic vessels, which have been compared to the umbilical arteries and veins of mammalian embryos. EMBRYO OF TWENTY-SEVEN SEGMENTS 69 The chick embryo is thus protected by the amnion which develops from the inner leaf of the folded somatopleure and is composed of an inner ectodermal and an outer mesodermal layer. Nutriment for the growth of the embryo is supplied by the yolk sac and carried to the embryo by the vitelline veins. The allantois, which takes its origin from the splanchno- pleure of the hind-gut and is composed of an inner layer of entoderm and an outer layer of splanchnic mesoderm, functions as an organ of respiration and serves as a reservoir for the excreta of the embryonic kidneys. As we shall see, the allantois becomes more important, the yolk sac less impor- tant, in some mammals, while in human embryos both yolk sac and allan- tois are unimportant when compared to the chorion. CHAPTER IV HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES THE fetal membranes of mammals include the amnion, chorion, yolk sac, and allantois, structures which we have seen are present in chick embryos. Most important in mammals is the manner in which the embryo becomes attached to the uterine wall of the mother, and in this regard mammalian embryos fall into two groups. Among the Ungulates, or hoofed mammals (e. g., the pig), the fetal membranes are of a primitive type, resembling those of the chick. Among Unguiculates (clawed animals like the bat and rabbit), including Primates (e. g., Man), the fetal mem- branes of the embryo show marked changes in development and structure. FETAL MEMBRANES OF THE PIG EMBRYO The amnion and chorion develop very much as in the chick embryo (Fig. yo^l, B). Folds of the somatopleure form very early and envelop the whole embryo. The amnion (Fig. 72) is a closed sac in embryos Mesodermal segment. Amniotic cavity Upper limb bud Posterior cardinal vein Dorsal aorta Glomerulus R. umbilical vein Wall of yolk sac 'Spinal cord 'Notochord Amnion 1L-— Somatopleure Mesonephric duct Mesentery L. umbilical vein L. vitelline vein Entoderm of gut Splanchnic mesoderm FIG. 72. — Transverse section through the yolk sac and stalk of a 5 mm. pig embryo, showing attachment of amnion. with only a few pairs of segments, but for some time it remains attached to the chorion by a strand of tissue (Keibel). The yolk sac develops early, as in all mammals. In the pig it is small and the greater part of it soon degenerates. It is important only in the early growth of the embryo, its functions then being transferred to the allantois. Branches of the vitelline vessels ramify in its wall, as in that of chick embryos, but soon degenerate. The trunks of the vitelline vessels, however, persist within 70 FKTAL MEMBRANES OF THE PIG EMBRYO the body of the embryo. The allantois, developing as in the chick from the ventral wall of the hind-gut (Fig. 70 A-D), appears when the embryo is still flattened out on the germinal disc. In an embryo 3.5 mm. long it is crescent-shaped and as large as the embryo. It soon becomes larger and its convex outer surface (splanchnic mesoderm) is applied to the inner surface (somatic mesoderm) of the chorion. These surface layers fuse more or less completely. A pair of allantoic veins and arteries branch in the splanchnic layer of the allantois. These branches are brought into contact with the mesodermal layer of the cho- Entodcrm of primitive gut Hind-gut A in n ion Ectoderm Fore-gut Somatic mesoderm Splanchnic mesoderm Yolk sac Enloderm Chorionic mesoderm -Chorionic ectoderm ^Uterine epithelium ^Tunica propria of uterus FIG. 73. — Diagram of the fetal membranes and allantoic placenta of a pig embryo, in median sagittal section (based on figures of Heisler and Minot). * rion and invade it. The outer ectodermal layer of the chorion in the mean- time has closely applied itself to the uterine epithelium, the ends of the uterine cells fitting into depressions in the chorionic cells (Fig. 73). When the allantoic circulation is established, waste products given off from the blood of the embryo must pass through the epithelia of both chorion and utervs to be taken up by the blood of the mother. In the same way, nutritive substances and oxygen must pass from the maternal blood through these layers to enter the allantoic vessels. This exchange does take place, however, and thus in Ungulates the allantois has become im- 72 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES portant, not only as an organ of respiration and excretion, but as an organ of nutrition. Through its vessels it has taken on a function belonging to the yolk sac in birds, and we now see why the yolk sac becomes a rudimen- tary structure in the higher mammals. Excreta from the embryonic kidneys are passed into the cavity of the allantois which is relatively large. The name is derived from a Greek word meaning sausage-like, from its form in some animals. The chorion is important only as it brings the allantois into close relation to the uterine wall, but in man we shall see that it plays a more important role. THE UMBILICAL CORD Pig Embryos. — -In their early development, the relation of the amnion, allantois, and yolk sac to each other and to the embryo is much the same as in the chick of five days (Fig. 71). With the increase in size of the embryo, however, the somatopleure in the region of the attachment of the amnion grows ventrad (Fig. 70 D). As a result, it is carried downward about the yolk sac and allantois, forming the umbilical cord (cf. Fig. 241). Thus, in a pig embryo 10 to 12 mm. long, the amnion is attached at a circular line about these structures some distance from the body of the embryo (cf. Fig. 119). The coelom at first extends ventrad into the cord, but later the mesodermal layers of amnion, yolk stalk, and allantois fuse and form a solid cord of tissue. This is the umbilical cord of fetal life and its point of attachment to the body is the umbilicus, or navel. The cord is covered by a layer of ectoderm continuous with that of the amnion and of the embryo, and contains, embedded in a mesenchymal (mucous) tissue: (i) the yolk stalk and (in early stages) its vitelline vessels; (2) the allantoic stalk; (3) the allantoic vessels. These latter, two arteries and a single large vein, are termed, from their position, the umbilical vessels. At certain stages (Figs. 122 and 123) the gut normally extends into the coelom of the cord, forming an umbilical hernia. Later, it returns to the coelom of the embryo and the cavity of the cord disappears. The umbilical cord of the pig is very short. The Human Umbilical Cord. — -This develops like that of the pig and may attain a length of more than 50 cm. It becomes spirally twisted, just how is not known. In embryos from 10 to 40 mm. long he gut extends into the ccelom of the cord (Figs. 179 and 180). At the 42 mm. stage, the gut returns to the ccelom of the body. The mucous tissue peculiar to the cord arises from mesenchyme. It contains no capillaries and no nerves, but embedded in it are the large umbilical vein, the two arteries, the allan- tois, and the yolk stalk. The umbilical cord may become wound about the neck of the fetus, causing its death and abortion, or by coiling about the extremities it may lead to their atrophy or amputation. EARLY HUMAN EMBRYOS AND THEIR MEMBRANES 73 EARLY HUMAN EMBRYOS AND THEIR MEMBRANES Descriptions of graded human embryos will introduce the reader to early mammalian development and indicate the divergencies from the chick stages already studied. A somewhat detailed account of a 4.2 mm. human embryo will then link the fifty-hour chick with the pig studies which follow. Referring to the blastodermic vesicle of the mammal (Figs. 17 and 18), it is found to consist of an outer layer, which we have called the trophecto- derm, and the inner cell mass (p. 2 7) . The trophectoderm forms the primi- tive ectodermal layer of the chorion in the higheafmammals and probably in man. Prom the inner cell mass are derikej the primary ectoderm, entoderm, and mesoderm. In the earliest known human embryos, de- scribed by Teacher, Bryce, and Peters, the germ layers and amnion are present, indicating that they are formed very early. We can only infer their early origin from what is known of other mammals. The diagrams (Fig. 74 A and B) show two stages, the first hypothetical, seen in median longitudinal section. In the first stage (A) the blastodermic vesicle is surrounded by the trophectoderm layer. The inner cell mass is differ- entiated into a dorsal mass of ectoderm and a ventral mass of entoderm. Mesoderm more or less completely fills the space between entoderm and trophectoderm. It is assumed that as the embryo grows (B) a split occurs in the mass of ectoderm cells, giving rise to the amniotic cavity and dividing these cells into the ectodermal layer of the embryo and into the extra-embryonic ectoderm of the amnion. At the same time a cavity may be assumed to form in the entoderm, giving rise to the primi- tive gut. At about this stage the embryo embeds itself in the uterine mucosa. In the third stage (C), based on Peters' embryo, the extra- embryonic mesoderm has extended between the trophectoderm and the ectoderm of the amnion, and the extra-embryonic ccelom appears. At first, strands of mesoderm, known as the magma reticulare, bridge across the ccelom between the somatic and splanchnic layers of mesoderm (Fig. 76). The amniotic cavity has increased in size, and the embryo is attached to the trophectoderm by the unsplit layer of mesoderm between the ectoderm of the amnion and the trophectoderm of the chorion. The latter shows thickenings which are the anlages of the chorionic villi, sur- rounded by syncytial trophoderm. In the fourth stage (D), based on Graf Spee's embryo, the chorionic villi are longer and branched. The mesoderm now remains unsplit only at the posterior end of the embryo, where it forms the body stalk peculiar to Unguiculates and Primates. It connects the mesoderm of the embryo with the mesoderm of the chorion. Into it there has grown from the gut of the embryo the entodermal diver- ticulum of the allantois. 74 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES The Chorion.— The human chorion is derived directly from the outer trophectoderm layer of the blastodermic vesicle and from the extra- embryonic somatic mesoderm. At first, its structure resembles that of the -pig's chorion. The trophectoderm of the human embryo, however, early gives rise to a thickened outer layer, the trophoderm (syncytial and nutrient layer— Figs. 74 C and 239). When the developing embryo comes Ectoderm Amniotic cavity Catlom Trophectoderm Archenteron Entoderm Mesoderm Ectoderm of amnion Ectoderm of embryo \ Attantois D Body stalk Trophectoderm Yolk sac Ectoderm of embryo A mniotic cavity Cavity of amnion Mesoderm of amnion Ectoderm of chorion Entoderm Cavity of yolk sac' Splanchnic Entoderm of' mesoderm yolk Sac Extra-embry- Mesoderm' onic codom Of yoik Sac Extra-embry- onic adorn Choriomc meso- derm -Trophoderm Mesoderm. of chorion Chorionic mlli FIG. 74. — Four diagrams of early human embryos (based on figures of Robinson and Minot). A, Hypothetical stage; B, Bryce-Teacher embryo (modified); C, Peters' embryo; D, Graf Spee's embryo. into contact with the uterine wall, the trophoderm destroys the maternal tissues. The destruction of the uterine mucosa serves two purposes: (i) the embedding and attachment of the embryo, it being grafted, so to speak, to the uterine wall ; and (2) it supplies the embryo with a new source of nutrition. To obtain nutriment to better advantage, there grow out from the chorion into the uterine mucosa branched processes, or mlli. The villi are bathed in maternal blood, and in them blood vessels are developed, the trunks of which pass to and from the embryo as the um- EARLY HUMAN EMBRYOS AND THEIR MEMBRANES 75 bilical vessels. The embryo receives its nutriment and oxygen, and gets rid of waste products through the walls of the villi. The region where the attachment of the chorionic villi to the uterine wall persists during fetal life is known as the placenta. It will be described later with the decidual membranes of the uterus (p. 237 ff.). Inner cell /Entoderm Truphectoderm Inner cell mass Trophectoderm Maternal blood vessels Enlodcrm Trophoderm Cuboidal cells (of Langhans) Embryonic ectoderm Entoderm FIG. 75.— Sections showing the formation of the amnion in bat embryos (after Van Beneden). X about 1 60. We saw how the allantois of Ungulates had assumed the nutritive functions performed by the yolk sac in birds, with a consequent degene- ration of the ungulate yolk sac. In man and most Unguiculates the func- tions of the allantois are transferred to the chorion, and the allantois, in turn, becomes a rudimentary structure. The Amnion. — This is formed precociously in Unguiculates, and in a manner quite different from its mode of origin in Ungulates and birds. 76 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES It is assumed that its cavity arises as a split in the primitive ectoderm of human embryos, as in bat embryos (Fig. 75). Later, a somatic layer of mesoderm envelops its ectodermal layer, its component parts then being the same as in birds and Ungulates — -an inner layer of ectoderm and an outer layer of mesoderm (Fig. 74 D). It becomes a thin, pellucid, non- vascular membrane, and about a month before birth is in contact with the chorion. It then contains about a liter of amniotic fluid, the origin of which is unknown. During the early months of pregnancy the embryo, suspended by the umbilical cord, floats in the amniotic fluid which serves as a water cushion. The embryo is protected from maceration by a white, fatty secretion, the vernix caseosa. At birth the membranes rupture. If the chorion bursts alone, the child may be born enveloped in the amnion, popularly known as a veil, or 'caul.' The amniotic fluid may be present in excessive amount, the condition being known as hydramnios. If less than the normal amount of fluid is present, the amnion may adhere to the embryo and produce malformations. It has been found, too, that fibrous bands or cords of tissue sometimes extend across the amniotic cavity, and, pressing upon parts of the embryo during its growth, cause scars and splitting of eyelids or lips. Such amniotic threads may even amputate a limb or cause the bifurcation of a digit. Amniotic cavity Mesoderm of chorionic villus Ectoderm of chorion Mesoderm — ^ Extra-embryonic coslom -Ectoderm of embryo ^•Mesoderm Yolk sac Entoderm Mesoderm FIG. 76. — Section of Peters' embryo of 0.2 mm. (about fifteen days). The portion of extra- embryonic coslom shown is limited below by a strand of the magma reticulare. The Allantois.— The allantois appears very early in the human em- bryo, before the development of the fore-gut or hind-gut. In Peters' embryo the amnion, chorion, and yolk sac are present, but not the allan- tois (Fig. 76). In an embryo 1.54 mm. long, described by von Spee (Fig- 77), there is no hind-gut, but the allantoic diverticulum of the en- EARLY HUMAN EMBRYOS AND THEIR MEMBRANES 77 toderm has invaded the mesoderm of the body stalk. This embryo, seen from the dorsal side with the amnion cut away, shows a marked neural Yolk sac - . < ' Amni ^ •'•". "^. . Neural groovt- Neurenteric canal • Primitive streak Body stalk B A mnion Embryonic disc Anlage of heart Splanchnic mesoderm Villi of chorion norion Somatic mesoderm Body stalk Primitive streak Allantois Yolk sac Entoderm Blood vessel FIG. 77. — Views of a human embryo of 1.54 mm. (von Spee). X 23. A, Dorsal surface; B, median sagittal section. groove and primitive streak. In front of the primitive knot a pore is figured, leading from the neural groove into the primitive intestinal 78 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES Amnion (cut) , Neural fold Yolk sac cavity, and hence called the neur enteric canal (p. 34). The fore-gut and head fold have formed at this stage and there are branched chorionic villi. Somewhat more advanced conditions are found in an em- bryo of 1.8 mm. with five to six pairs of segments (Fig. 78). A reconstruction by Dandy of Mall's embryo, about 2 mm. long with seven pairs of segments, shows well the embryonic ap- pendages (Fig. 79). The fore- and hind-gut are well developed, the amniotic cavity is large, and the yolk sac still communicates with the gut through a wide opening. The allantois is present as a curved tube, somewhat dilated near its blind end and embedded in the mesoderm of the body stalk. As the hind-gut develops, the allantois Chorion Amnion Neurenteric canal Primitive streak Body stalk Chorion FIG. 78. — Kromer human embryo of 1.8 mm., in dorsal view (after Keibel and Elze). X 20. Pharyngeal membrane Fore-gut Heart Body stalk Allanloic stalk Hind-gut Splanchnic mesoderm Blood island Blood vessel FIG. 79. — A human embryo of 2 mm. in median sagittal section (adapted from reconstructions of Mall's embryo by F. T. Lewis and Dandy). X 23. comes to open into its ventral wall. A large umbilical artery and vein are present in the body stalk. EARLY HUMAN EMBRYOS AND THEIR MEMBRANES 79 In an embryo of 23 somites, 2.5 mm. long, described by Thompson, the allantois has elongated and shows three irregular dilatations (Fig. 80). A large cavity never appears distally in the human allantois as in Ungu- lates, but when it becomes included in the umbilical cord its distal portion is tubular. The allantois eventually atrophies and is without further significance (cf. p. 209). The human allantois is thus small and rudimentary as compared with that of birds and Ungulates. As we have seen, the cavity is very large in the pig, and Haller found an allantoic sac two feet long con- __ ^ nected with a goat embryo of P^arynx- Pharyngeal^ membrane Thyreoid Pericardium- U Hepatic daerticulum . Septum transversum. Yolk stalk Allantois Cloacal membrane Cloaca FIG. 80. — Median sagittal section of a 2.5 mm. human embryo, showing digestive tract (after Thompson). X 40. —Yolk-sac Cut edge of iimn in 11 Primitive segments Y~ Neural folds Neurenteric canal FIG. 8 1 . — Human embryo of 2. 1 1 mm. (Eternod). X 35- two inches. In human embryos it appears very early and is not free, but embedded in the body stalk. Its functions, so important in birds and Ungulates, are in man performed by the chorion. The Yolk Sac and Stalk. — In the youngest human embryos described, the entoderm forms a somewhat elongated vesicle (Fig. 76). With the development of the fore-gut and hind-gut in embryos of 1.54 and 2 mm. (Figs. 77 and 79), the entodermal vesicle is divided into the dorsal intestine and ventral yolk sac, the two being connected by a somewhat narrower region. This condition persists in an embryo 2.5 mm. long (Fig. 80). In the figure, most of the yolk sac has been cut away. Embryos with 8o HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES 9 and 14 pairs of segments, with three brain vesicles and with the amnion cut away are seen in Figs. 81 and 324. The relation of the fetal appen- A mnion Body stalk FIG. 82. — Human embryo of about 2.5 mm. (His, after Coste). X 15. dages to the embryo shows well in the embryo of Coste (Fig. 82). The dorsal concavity is probably abnormal. A robust body stalk attaches the A mnion - Branchial grooves i-j • Maxillary process Mamiilnilar process Heart Body stalk - Yolk-sac FIG, 83.— Human embryo of 2.6 mm., showing amnion, yolk stalk and body stalk (His). X25. embryo to the inner wall of the chorion. With the growth of the head- and tail folds of the embryo, there is an apparent construction of the yolk TIIK ANATOMY OF A 4.2 MM. HUMAN KMI1KYO 8l sac where it joins the embryo. This, however, is a deception. Both embryo and yolk sac enlarge, whereas the region of union lags and later becomes the slender yolk stalk (Fig. 84). His' embryo, 2.6 mm. long, shows the relative size of yolk sac and embryo and the yolk stalk (Fig. 83). The relations of the fetal membranes to the embryo are much the same as in the chick embryo of five days, save that the allantois of the human embryo is embedded in the body stalk. The embryo shows a regular, convex dorsal curvature, there is a marked cephalic bend in the region of the mid-brain and there are three branchial grooves. The head is twisted to the left, the tail to the right. At the side of the oral sinus are two large processes; the dorsal of these is the maxillary, the ventral the mandibular process. The heart is large and flexed in much the same way as the heart of the fifty-hour chick embryo. In later stages, with the development of the umbilical cord, the yolk stalk becomes a slender thread extending from the dividing line FIG. 84.— Yolk sac and stalk of a 20 mm. human embryo. X 1 1. between the fore- and hind-gut to the yolk sac, or umbilical vesicle (Figs. 84 and 119). It loses its attachment to the gut in 7 mm. embryos. A blind pocket may persist at its point of union with the intestine; this is known as Meckel's diverticulum, a structure of clinical importance because it sometimes telescopes and causes the occlusion of the intestinal lumen. The yolk stalk may remain embedded in the umbilical cord and extend some distance to the yolk sac which is found between the amnion and chorion. The yolk sac may be persistent at birth. THE ANATOMY OF A 4.2 MM. HUMAN EMBRYO This embryo, studied and described by His, is regarded by Keibel as not quite normal. Viewed from the left side (Fig. 85), with the amnion cut away close to its line of attachment, there may be seen the yolk stalk, and a portion of the yolk sac and body stalk. There is an indication of the primitive segments along the dorso-lateral line of the trunk. The head is bent ventrad almost at right angles, forming in the mid-brain region the cephalic flexure. There are also marked cervical and caudal flexures, the trunk ending in a short, blunt tail. The heart is large and 82 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES Mid-brain Fore-brain Stomodaum Mandibiilar process Heart flind-brain Otocyst Branchial arches •Amnion (cut) flexed as in the earlier stage. Three branchial grooves separate the four branchial arches. The first arch has developed two ventral processes. Of these, the maxillary process is small and may be seen dorsal to the stomo- dceum. The mandibular process is large and has met its fellow of the right side to form the mandible, or lower jaw. Dorsal to the second branchial groove may be seen the position of the oval otocyst, now a closed sac. Opposite the atrial portion of the heart, and in the region of the caudal flexure, bud-like out- growths indicate the anlages of the upper and lower extremities. Central Nervous System and Sense Organs. The neural tube is closed throughout its extent and is differentiated into brain and spinal cord. The brain tube, or encephalon, is divided by con- strictions into four regions, or vesicles, as in the fifty-hour chick (Fig. 57). Of these, the most cephalad is the telenc'ephalon. It is a paired outgrowth from the fore-brain, the remaining portion of which is the diencephalon. The mid-brain, or mesencephalon, located at the cephalic flexure, is not subdivided. The hind-brain, or rhombencephalon, which is long and continuous with the spinal cord, later is subdivided into the metencephalon (region of the cerebellum and pons) and myelencephalon (medulla oblongata). The spinal cord forms a closed tube extending from the brain to the tail and containing the neural cavity, flattened from side to side. The eye is represented by the optic vesicles and the thickened ecto- dermal anlage of the lens. Its stage of development is between that of the thirty-eight- and fifty-hour chick embryos. The otocyst is a closed sac, no longer connected with the outer ecto- derm as in the fifty-hour chick. Digestive Canal. — -In a reconstruction of the viscera viewed from the right side (Fig. 86), the entire extent of the digestive canal may be seen. The pharyngeal membrane, which we saw developed in the chick between the stomodseum and the pharynx, has broken through so that these cavities are now in communication. The fore-gut, which extends from the oral Body stalk FIG. 85. — Human embryo of 4.2 mm., in lateral view (His). X 15. THE ANATOMY OF A 4.2 MM. HUMAN EMBRYO 8.3 cavity to the yolk stalk, is differentiated into pharynx, thyreoid, trachea and lungs, esophagus and stomach, small intestine and digestive glands (pancreas and liver). The gut is suspended from the dorsal body wall by the dorsal mesentery. The ectodermal limits of the oral cavity are indicated dorsad by the diverticulum of the hypophysis (Rathke's pouch). The fore-gut proper Metencrpliiilnn Aortic arches 2-4, 6- Notochord. Descending aorta Trachea Lung bud, Esophagus Hind-gut Mesencephalon and cephalic flexure Rathke's pouch Diencephalon Internal carotid artery Optic vesicle Prosencephalon •Mouth cavity Pharyngeal pouches 1-4 Ventral aorta Atrium of heart Umbilical vein Liver anlage Splanchnic tnesoderm Mid-gut Entoderm of yolk stalk Tail gut Umbilical artery Mesonephric duct Cloaca Allantois FIG. 86. — Diagrammatic reconstruction of a 4.2 mm. human embryo, viewed from the right side (adapted from a model by His). X 25. begins with a shallow out-pocketing known as Seessel's pouch. As the pharyngeal membrane disappears between these pockets, it would seem that Seessel's pouch represents the persistence of the blind anterior end of the fore-gut. No other significance has been assigned to it. The pharynx is widened laterally, and at this stage shows four pharyngeal pouches (Fig. 87). Later a fifth pair of pouches is developed (Fig. 1 68). The four pairs of pharyngeal pouches are important as they 84 HUMAN EMBRYOS AND FETAL MEMBRANES form respectively the following adult structures: (i) the auditory tubes; (2) the palatine tonsils; (3) the thymus and parathyreoids ; (4) the parathy- reoids. Between the pharyngeal pouches are the five branchial arches in which are developed five pairs of aortic arches. Between the bases of the first and second branchial arches, on the floor of the pharynx, is developed the transient tuberculum impar. Posterior to this unpaired structure there grows out ventrally the anlage of the thyreoid gland. From 'Mouth cavity Pharyngeal pouches 1-4 Esophagus •Stomach Hepatic diverliculum Ventral pancreas Mesonephric tubule with glomerulus —