DEVELOPMENT OF DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
Andrea Heinzlmann
University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest

Department of Anatomy and Histology

Embryology Course

26th March 2022.

 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

the digestive system consists of the:

a. oral cavity

b. pharynx

c. esophagus

d. gastro – intestinal tract

e. rectum

f. anus

g. liver

h. pancreas

[Link]
 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
1. the primordial gut closed at its cranial end by the oropharyngeal membrane
2. the caudal end of the primordial gut gives rise to most of the epithelium and glands of the alimentary system

3. the epithelium at the cranial and caudal ends of the tract derived from the ectoderm of the stomodeum and the
proctodeum (anal pit)
4. the muscular and connective tissue and other layers of the wall of the digestive tract derived from the splanchnic
mesenchyme surrounding the primordial gut
 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
the primordial gut is divided into:
a. foregut

b. midgut

c. hindgut
 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT THE:

a. primordial pharynx and its derivatives

b. lower respiratory system

c. esophagus

d. stomach

e. duodenum, just distal to the opening of the bile duct

f. liver

g. biliary apparatus (hepatic ducts, gallbladder, bile duct)

h. pancreas

- all of the foregut derivatives, exept the pharynx, respiratory

tract, most of the esophagus, are supplied by the celiac
artery – the artery of the foregut
 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

DERIVATIVES OF THE MIDGUT THE:

a. small intestine, including the duodenum distal to the opening of the bile duct

b. caecum

c. ascending colon

d. right half to two thirds of the transverse colon

- all of these derivatives are supplied by the cranial mesenteric artery

 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DERIVATIVES OF THE HINDGUT THE:
a. left third to half of the transverse colon

b. desceding colon

a. sigmoid colon

b. rectum

c. cranial part of the anal canal

d. epithelium of the urinary bladder and most of the urethra

- all of these derivatives are supplied by the caudal mesenteric artery

[Link]
bryo/[Link]
 ESOPHAGUS

- formed from that portion of the foregut, that just behind the pharynx

- the tracheopharyngeal ridge and septum separates it from the trachea

1. elongates rapidly and reaches its final relative lentgh

2. its epithelium and glands derived from the endoderm

3. the striated muscle derived from the mesenchyme in the 4th and 6th pharyngeal arches

4. the smooth muscle mainly in the caudal third of the esophagus develops from the surrounding splanchnic

mesenchyme
 MONOGASTRIC (SIMPLE) STOMACH
1. a slight dilatation of the tubelike foregut indicates the site of the primordial stomach

2. the dilatation enlarges, most of the enlargement occurs dorsally

3. once the dorsal enlargement is formed, the stomach area undergoes a 90 degree rotation along its cranial –

caudal axis

4. the dorsal enlargement rotates toward the left side of the embryo

5. so the stomach lies with the former dorsal part directed toward the left and the ventral part toward the right

[Link]
 MONOGASTRIC (SIMPLE) STOMACH
6. as this position change occurs, the liver is on the right side of the abdominal cavity, rapidly enlarges

7. this rapid enlargement of the liver pushes the cranial end of the stomach further to the left

8. the cranial part of the dorsal enlargement of the stomach grows more than the caudal part – and forms

the fundus

9. the boundary of the dorsal enlargement is the greater curvature of the stomach

10. the original ventral part of the stomach is the lesser curvature
 MONOGASTRIC (SIMPLE)
STOMACH

the result of the positional changes is that:

– the greater curvature lying towards the left

- the lesser curvature lying toward the right

 RUMINANT STOMACH
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
1. in the cow the monogastric stage is reached by 33 days

2. the 90 degree rotation to the left is completed by 33 days

3. the area corresponding to the fundus in a monogastric stomach expanded toward the left – this expansion is

the rumen
 RUMINANT STOMACH
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
4. immediately thereafter the reticulum is formed along the greater curvature of the embryonic stomach caudal and

ventral to the forming rumen

5. along the lesser curvature the omasum appears

6. abomasum forms from the pyloric region

 RUMINANT STOMACH
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
7. by 40 days the rumen becomes differentiated by two cranially directed outgrowth from the fundic region

- these are the dorsal and ventral sacs

8. by the day 43 the rumen is growing caudodorsally and toward the right

9. the dorsal and ventral sac become directed caudally

10. the dorsal sac is dorsal to the ventral sac

 RUMINANT STOMACH
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
11. the rumen is in its definitive position in the left side of the abdominal cavity

12. the change in position of the rumen forces the reticulum to shift to a more cranioventral position and pushes the

omasum and abomasum toward the right

 RUMINANT STOMACH
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

13. the junction between the abomasum and duodenum directed toward the rigth

14. the abomasal - duodenal junction forced to fold back on itself and becomes directed in dorsal direction
 RUMINANT STOMACH
POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT

1. the adult positions are reached at 14 weeks of gestation in the cow, the growth of the rumen slows, and by

birth the rumen is about one – half the size of the abomasum

2. after birth, the rumen again enlarges until at 8 weeks of age

3. the rumen and abomasum are about the same size

 RUMINANT STOMACH
POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT

4. by 12 weeks the rumen is twice the size of the abomasum

5. by 1 – 1,5 years of age the relative sizes of the ruminant stomach parts approach that of adult

6. the rate of the rumen growth depends upon how much roughage is included in the diet
 RUMINANT STOMACH
INTERNAL STRUCTURES

1. the internal structures of ruminant forestomach follows closely the development of their external features

2. the lamina formation in the omasum indicated by 40 days

3. by 50 – 60 days of gestation there are reticular crest and cells in the reticulum

4. definitive omasal lamina are also presented by 50 – 60 days

5. by 3 month definitive reticular crests and cells are presents

6. distinctive ruminal papillae do not appear until nearly 5 months of gestation

 INTESTINAL TRACT
PHYSIOLOGICAL ATRESIA:

1. the esophagus, intestine, rectum normally become occluded by a proliferation of epithelium that lines the

intestinal tube - this occlusion referred as atresia

2. the occlusion is temporary – by the end of the embryonic phase – recanalization has begun

3. recanalization – formation of vacuoles, in the epithelium that coalesce to form a definitive lumen
 INTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT

the midguts forms:

a. ascending duodenum

b. jejunum

c. ileum

d. caecum

e. ascending colon

f. transverse colon
 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
CARNIVORES
1. at a very early stage in development the midgut grows in length faster it can be accomodated in the

abdominal cavity

2. the midgut herniates into the coelomic cavity of the umbilical cord

3. the herniated midgut in the form of a loop , termed the umbilical intestinal ansa

4. the cranial limb of the loop is attached to the foregut

 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
CARNIVORES
5. the caudal limb of the loop is attached to the hindgut

6. the loop undergoes a twisting in which the caudal limb moves cranially and to the left – the result is a double –

twist in the loop with both cranial and caudal limbs undergoing 180 degree rotations

7. the axis of these rotation is a branch of the aorta located in the mesentery of the loop – this branch becomes

the cranial mesenteric artery in adult

8. the caudal limb of the loop develops a diverticulum – becomes the caecum
 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
CARNIVORES

- by this time the abdominal cavity become sufficiently enlarged to accomodate the intestine

- the midgut returns to the body cavity

 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
UNGULATES

- the initial steps in intestinal development in ungulates are the same as those in the carnivore

- further changes occur in the part of the caudal limb of the loop , that forms the ascending colon
 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
UNGULATES
IN PIG:

1. the ascending colon forms a secondary loop, which then coils to form the spiral colons

2. the center of the spiral colon is the tip of the secondary loop – which forms the ascending colon
 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
UNGULATES
IN OX:

1. the ascending colon forms a secondary loop, which then coils to form the spiral colons

2. the center of the spiral colon is the tip of the secondary loop – which forms the ascending colon
 DERIVATIVES OF THE FOREGUT AND MIDGUT
UNGULATES
IN HORSE:

- a secondary loop also forms in the future ascending colon

- the tip of the loop displaced leftward and caudally due to the extensive growth of the caecum

- the tip of the secondary loop corresponds to the pelvic flexure of the great colon in adult

- the loop then folds upon itself to form two cranial flexures:

a. the more ventral one is the sternal flexure

b. the dorsal one is the diaphragmatic flexure

 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT
DESCENDING COLON:

- derived from the hindgut

- changes very little from its original tubular configuration

- it is placed to the left side of the abdominal cavity by the midgut, when it returns to the abdomen - this is

the adult position in all species

 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT

RECTUM:

- in all sepcies formed by a partitioning of the dorsal part of the cloaca by two masses of tissue that grow

medially from the cloacal wall and fuse to form the urorectal septum
 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT
THE CLOACA:

- the terminal part of the primitive gut

- receives the digestive, urinary and genital tract

in mammalian it becomes subdivided into:

a. dorsal part forms the rectum and the cranial part of anal canal

b. ventral part becomes the urogenital sinus

 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT
ANAL CANAL:

- formed from two sources

a. its cranial part formed by the partitioning of the cloaca

b. its caudal part formed by in ingrowth of ectoderm (proctodeum), that comes into close apposition to the

endoderm of the cloaca

c. the endodermal – ectodermal membrane between the cloaca and proctodeum is the cloacal membrane
 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT

ANAL CANAL:

d. the cloaca is separated by the urorectal membrane

e. the caudal part of the urorectal membrane - forms the perineum

f. the part of the cloacal membrane covering the anal canal is the anal membrane

g. when the anal membrane ruptures – the cranial and caudal parts of the anal canal are continous

h. in adult the position of the anal membrane is indicated by the anocutaneous line

i. the part of the anal canal deriveted from the proctodeum lined by cutaneous stratified squamous epithelium
 DERIVATIVES OF THE HINIDGUT
ANAL CANAL:

IN CARNIVORE:

- two ventro-lateral outpouchings of the proctodeal ectoderm occur at its junction with the anal canal - these

form the anal sacs (paranal sinuses) and their associated glands
The parenchymal cells:
LIVER

1. are endodermal derivatives

2. arise from the hepatic diverticulum (folding of the endodermal layer of the floor of the foregut in the area of

the future descending duodenum )

3. the hepatic diverticulum extends into the septum transversum (mass of splanchnic mesoderm between the

developing heart and midgut)

4. the hepatic diverticulum enlarges

 LIVER
5. the hepatic diverticulum divides into two parts as it grows between the layers of the ventral mesogastrium:

a. the larger, cranial part of the diverticulum is the primordium of the liver

b. the smaller caudal porton becomes the biliary apparatus

 LIVER
6. the proliferating endodermal cells give rise to interlacing cords of hepatocytes (hepatic cords) and to the epithelial

lining of the intrahepatic part of the biliary apparatus

7. the hepatic cords anastomose around endothelium - lined spaces the primordia of the hepatic sinusoids

8. the fibrous and hematopoietic tissue and Kupffer – cells derived from the mesenchy in the septum transversum
 LIVER
9. the liver grows rapidly and fils a large part of the abdominal cavity

10. hematopoiesis begins in the liver during 6th week

11. bile formation by the hepatic cells begins during 12 weeks

 LIVER
12. the caudal portion of the hepatic diverticulum becomes:

a. the gallbladder

b. the stalk forms the cystic duct

- the extrahepatic biliary apparatus occluded with epithelial cells

- the stalk connecting the hepatic duct and cystic duct to the duodenum becomes the bile duct – which

attaches to the ventral aspect of the duodenal loop – as the duodenum grows and rotates, the entrance of

the bile duct carried to the dorsal aspect of the duodenum

 VENTRAL MESENTERY

- derived from the mesogastrium

- forms the visceral peritoneum of the liver

from the umbilical cord to the liver

 VENTRAL MESENTERY
the double – layered ventral mesentery gives rise to:

a. lesser omentum

– passes from the liver to the lesser curvature of the stomach (hepatogastric ligament)

- passes from the liver to the duodenum (hepatoduodenal ligament)

b. falciform ligament

- extends from the liver to the ventral abdominal wall

- the umbilical vein passes in the free border of the falciform ligament from the umbilical cord to the liver
 LIVER
AREA NUDA (BARE AREA OF LIVER):

- the liver lies within the abdominal cavity with cranialmost part resting against the septum transversum

- in adult, the cranial part of the liver rests against the diaphragm – and its not covered by peritoneum at the

point of contact
 PANCREAS
develops from:

a. the dorsal pancreatic bud – dorsal evagination from the duodenum

b. the ventral pancreatic bud - branch of the hepatic diverticulum

- the torsion of the initial part of the duodenum bring the two pancreatic diverticuli together to fuse into a

single mass

- the duct system of the two parts become interconnected

 PANCREAS

DORSAL PANCREATIC BUD:

- grows into a part of the dorsal mesentery, that contributes to the greater omentum

- the bulk of the left lobe of the adult pancreas derived from this diverticulum

- the accessory duct drains the left lobe, formed from the duct of the dorsal bud
 PANCREAS
VENTRAL PANCREATIC BUD:

- most of the right lobe arises from the ventral diverticulum

- the main pancreatic duct drains the right lobe, formed from the duct of the ventral bud
 PANCREAS

- the connective tissue sheath and the interlobular septa of the pancreas developed from surrounding splanchnic

mesenchyme

- Islet cells appear by the early fetal stage (35 – 43 days)

- hormones are present in the islet cells

- digestive enzyme precursors and gastrointestinal hormones are detected in acinar cells

- early appearance of hormones may have a role in the development of the rest of the gastrointetstinal tarct
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

William K. Latshaw: Veterinary Developmental Anatomy, A Clinically Oriented Approach, 1987

T.A. Mcgeady, P.J. Quinn, E.S. FitzPatrick and M.Z. Ryan: Veterinary Embryology, Blackwell Publishing, 2006

Keith L. Morre, T.V.N. Persaud, Mark G. Torchia: before we were Born, Essentials of Embryology and Birth

defects, 8th Edition, Elsevier

Langman's Medical Embryology