Prof. Mujahid Khan

College of Medicine –‫ك لية ا لطب‬
Prof. Mujahid Khan

 The nervous system develops from the
neural plate
 It is a thickened, slipper shaped area of

embryonic ectoderm
 The neural tube differentiates into the CNS
 The neural crest gives rise to cells that form

most of the PNS and ANS, consisting of
cranial, spinal and autonomic ganglia
 Neurulation begins during the early part of
the fourth week
 The cranial (upper) two thirds of the neural

plate and tube represent the future brain
 The caudal (lower) one third of neural plate

and tube represents the future spinal cord
 The lateral walls of the neural tube thicken

 Gradually reducing the size of the neural
canal until only a minute central canal of
the spinal cord is present
 These neuroepithelial cells give rise to all
neurons and macroglial cells in the spinal
cord
 Soon a marginal zone composed of the
outer parts of the neuroepithelial cells
becomes recognizable
 This zone becomes the white matter of the
spinal cord
 The primordial supporting cells of the central
nervous system, glioblasts or spongioblast
differentiate from neuroepithelial cells
 This occurs after neuroblast formation has ceased
 Some glioblasts become astroblasts and later

astrocytes
 Other cells become oligodendroblasts and later

oligodendrocytes
 Proliferation and differentiation of

neuroepithelial cells in the developing spinal
cord produce thick walls but thin roof and
floor plates
 Differential thickening of the lateral walls of

the spinal cord soon produces a shallow
longitudinal groove on each side called sulcus
limitans
 Sulcus limitans separates the dorsal part the alar

plate from the ventral part, the basal plate
 The alar and basal plates produce longitudinal

bulges extending through most of the length of
developing spinal cord
 The alar and basal plates are later associated with

afferent and efferent functions respectively
 Cell bodies in the alar plates form the
dorsal gray columns that extend the length

of the spinal cord
 In transverse sections of the cord, these

columns are the dorsal gray horns
 Neurons in these columns constitute
afferent nuclei
 Groups of these nuclei form the dorsal gray

column
As the basal plates enlarge, they bulge
ventrally on each side of the median plane
 As this occurs, the ventral median septum

forms and a deep longitudinal groove, the
ventral median fissure develops on the
ventral surface of the spinal cord
 Myelin sheath in the spinal cord begin to

form during the late fetal period
 Is continue to form during the first

postnatal year
 The myelin sheaths surrounding nerve

fibers within the spinal cord are formed by
oligodendrocytes
 The plasma membrane of oligodendrocytes
wrap around the axon
 The myelin sheaths around the axons of

peripheral nerve fibers are formed by the
plasma membranes of neurolemma
(Schwann) cells
 Neurolemma or Schwann cells are

analogous to oligodendrocytes
 These cells are derived from neural crest

cells
 Paraxial mesoderm differentiates and begins
to divide into cuboidal bodies called somites
by the end of 3rd week
 These blocks of mesoderm are located on

each side of developing neural tube
 About 38 pairs of somites form during the

somite period of human development (20-30
days)
Each somite differentiates into two parts:
 The ventromedial part is sclerotome
 Its cells form the vertebrae and ribs
 The dorsolateral part is the dermomyotome
 Cells from myotome form myoblasts
 Cells from dermatome form the dermis

 During the precartilaginous or mesenchymal
stage, mesenchymal cells are found in three

main areas:
 Around the notochord

 Surrounding the neural tube
 In the body wall
In a frontal section of a 4 week embryo, the
sclerotomes appear as paired condensations

of mesenchymal cells around the notochord
 Each sclerotome consists of loose cells

cranially and packed cells caudally
 Some packed cells move cranially, where
they form the intervertebral disc
 The remaining densely packed cells fuse

with the loose cells of the immediately
caudal sclerotome to form the mesenchymal
centrum
 Centrum is a primordium of the body of a

vertebra
 Thus each centrum develops from two
adjacent sclerotomes and becomes an

intersegmental structure
 The nerves lie in close relationship to the IV

discs
 The notochord degenerates and disappears where
it is surrounded by the developing vertebral bodies
 Between the vertebrae, the notochord expands to

form the gelatinous center of the intervertebral disc
called nucleus pulposus
 The nucleus later surrounded by circularly arranged

fibers that form the anulus fibrosus
 The nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus

together constitute the IV disc
 The mesenchymal cells (connective tissues),

surrounding the neural tube, form the
vertebral arch
 During the sixth week chondrification centers

appear in each mesenchymal vertebra
 Ossification of typical vertebrae begins
during the embryonic period
 It usually ends by the twenty-fifth year

Three primary centers are present by the end
of the embryonic period:
 One in the centrum

 One in each half of the vertebral arch
 Ossification becomes evident in the vertebral

arches during the eighth week
 At birth each vertebra consists of three
bony parts connected by cartilage
 The bony halves of the vertebral arch

usually fuse during the first 3 to 5 years
 The arches first unite in the lumber region
 This union progresses cranially
 These articulations permit the vertebral
arches to grow as the spinal cord enlarges
 These joints disappear when the vertebral

arch fuses with the centrum during the third
to sixth years
Five secondary ossification centers appear
in the vertebrae after puberty:
 One for the tip of the spinous process
 One for the tip of each transverse process
 One on the superior and one on the inferior

rim of the vertebral body
Allsecondary centers unite with the rest of

the vertebra around 25 years of age
 Failure of fusion of the halves of the vertebral
arches result in major defect called spina bifida
 It occurs more frequently in girls than boys
 Most cases are open and covered by a thin

membrane
 The closed spina bifida or spina bifida occulta is

covered by a thick membrane of skin
 It occurs in L5 or S1 vertebrae in about 10%
of otherwise normal people
 In its most minor form, the only evidence of

its presence may be a small dimple with a
tuft of hair arising from it
 It usually produces no clinical symptom
 It is a severe type of spina bifida
 It involves protrusion of the spinal cord

and/or meninges through the defect in the
vertebral arches
 It is called cystic because of a cyst like sac

associated with these anomalies
 It occurs about once in every 1000 births


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College of Medicine –‫ك لية ا لطب‬

Prof. Mujahid Khan

 It is a thickened, slipper shaped area of

 The neural tube differentiates into the CNS

 The neural crest gives rise to cells that form

the fourth week

 The cranial (upper) two thirds of the neural

 The caudal (lower) one third of neural plate

 The lateral walls of the neural tube thicken

differentiate from neuroepithelial cells

 This occurs after neuroblast formation has ceased

 Some glioblasts become astroblasts and later

 Other cells become oligodendroblasts and later

 Proliferation and differentiation of

 Differential thickening of the lateral walls of

 Sulcus limitans separates the dorsal part the alar

 The alar and basal plates produce longitudinal

 The alar and basal plates are later associated with

dorsal gray columns that extend the length

 In transverse sections of the cord, these

 Groups of these nuclei form the dorsal gray

ventrally on each side of the median plane

 As this occurs, the ventral median septum

 Myelin sheath in the spinal cord begin to

 Is continue to form during the first

 The myelin sheaths surrounding nerve

 The myelin sheaths around the axons of

 Neurolemma or Schwann cells are

 These cells are derived from neural crest

by the end of 3rd week

 These blocks of mesoderm are located on

 About 38 pairs of somites form during the

 The ventromedial part is sclerotome

 Its cells form the vertebrae and ribs

 The dorsolateral part is the dermomyotome

 Cells from myotome form myoblasts

 Cells from dermatome form the dermis

stage, mesenchymal cells are found in three

 Around the notochord

sclerotomes appear as paired condensations

 Each sclerotome consists of loose cells

they form the intervertebral disc

 The remaining densely packed cells fuse

 Centrum is a primordium of the body of a

adjacent sclerotomes and becomes an

 The nerves lie in close relationship to the IV

it is surrounded by the developing vertebral bodies

 Between the vertebrae, the notochord expands to

 The nucleus later surrounded by circularly arranged

 The nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus

 The mesenchymal cells (connective tissues),

 During the sixth week chondrification centers

during the embryonic period

 It usually ends by the twenty-fifth year

of the embryonic period:

 One in the centrum

 Ossification becomes evident in the vertebral

 The bony halves of the vertebral arch

arches to grow as the spinal cord enlarges