EMBRYOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

January 19, 2016

Dr. Dee Berto

The respiratory tract is derived from

foregut mesoderm
Lung buds from during 4th week
Initially appear as the respiratory
diverticulum, which is a ventral
outgrowth of foregut endoderm
MESODERM dependent process:
retinoic acid triggers a release of
TBX4 in the foregut endoderm which
induces growth and differentiation of
trachea and lungs
SPLITTING OF FOREGUT AND
RESPIRATORY DIVERTICULUM
Trachea-esophageal ridges:
longitudinal ridges that fuse to
separate trachea from esophagus
1. Lung bud is open
2. Expands caudally
3. Ridges fuse
4. Divides foregut into trachea and
esophagus

ESOPHAGUS

Pahaba ng pahaba
Muscular coat is from splanchic
Upper 2/3 striated- VAGUS
Lower 1/3 smooth muscleSPLANCHIC PLEXUS
**tracheoesophageal fistuladefect in mesoderm
Polyhydramnios
G.i problems
respiratory
**blind pouch
VATER- vertebral anomalies, anal
atresia, tef, esophageal atresisa,
renal atresia
VACTERL- VATER+ Cardiac defects
and Limb defects.

LARYNX

Endoderm- epithelial lining

Mesenchyme- cartilages and muscles
4th to 6th pharyngeal arches

Recanalized at 10 weeks
Cartilage also develops
Ventricles of the larynx will form, has
several folds forming the vocal cords.
All laryngeal muscles innervated by
VAGUS nerve
4th pharyngeal arch- superior
laryngeal nerve
6th pharyngeal arch- recurrent
laryngeal nerve (also supplies
laryngeal nerve)
**Laryngeal Atresia- congenital
high airway obstruction syndrome
(CHAOS)
Air trapped in lungs, diaphragm
flattened d/t expanding lungs

TRACHEA

Endoderm
Visceral splanchic mesoderm
**tracheal atresia- no chance of
survival

SEGMENTAL BRANCHING AND

DEVELOPMENT OF BRANCHIAL TUBES
1.
2.
3.
4.

Trachea into 2 primary bronchi

L and R divide into secondary bronchi
2 on left, 3 on right
7th week- 18 bronchopulmonary
segments of the adult lung

Endodermal/mesenchymal
interactions important in producing
bronchopulmonary segment
Signaling molecules important for
lung budding and branching
morphogenesis
Retinoic acid
Fibroblast growth factor 10Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2
stimulating epithelial growing
Bone morphogenetoc protein
(BMP4) signaling to stop elongating
at the tip
SHH- sonic hedgehog protein
inhibit release of fibroblast growth
facor 10

Tip di na maggrow, yung sides na

lang magcontinue maggrow kaya
nagbbranch out sya
If branching is EARLY
If branching is LATE
CONGENITAL LUNG CYSTS- late.
Formation of cyst

LUNGS
1. Pseudoglandular phase
5th-16th week
Development of lower
conducting airways and
vascular supply
Branching continues to form
terminal bronchioles (15-25
branches)
Resembles exocrine gland
Epithelial differentiation- tall
columnar epithelium
Respiration not possible**premature child
2. Canalicular phase 17th-24th week
1) Birth of acinus
2) Epithelial differentiationSimple Cuboidal
Epithelium
3) Beginning of surfactant
synthesis by Type II
Pneumocytes
Child born 6 months poor
prognosis
3. Terminal sac or saccular sac 24th
to 37th
Initiation of alveolarization
Surfactant starts to appear
Surfactant-evens the surface
tension
Type 2 pneumocyte produces
surfactant
Small alveoli smaller
tension=collapses
Big alveoli- surfactant
RDSrespiratory
distress
syndromehyaline membrane
disease
4. Alveolar phase
Continued development of alveolar
proliferation

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Bronchi
Bronchioles
Terminal bronchioles
A
A
A

GROWTH
CAVITY

OF

LUNGS

IN

THE

BODY

Intraembryonic coelom
Somatic
mesodermparietal
peritoneum
Splanchic
mesenchymevisceral
peritoneum
Dorsal mesentery hang like a sling
Lung buds punch a hole in the
visceral mesoderm causing it to
invaginate developing the visceral
pleura (lung covering) outer portionparietal pleura (lung covering)
Lungs and heart still in one cavity,
needs SEPARATION.
a. 5 weeks- pleuropericardial folds
grow from lateral towards the
midline
b. 6
weekspleuropericardial
membrane reaches midline
c. 7 weeks
d. 8 weeks lungs grow and expand
into pleural cavity
Separating
abdominal
and
thoracic cavities
Septum
transverumcentral
tendon of diaphragm. It partially
divides the 2 cavities
Week 4 develops in transverse
manner, front to back
Thoracic 7
Thoracic 12
**partial separation
ST continues on, it will stop when
it reaches foregut. 2 openings:
1. Pericardioperitoneal canals
Should
be
closed
by
pleuroperitoneal
membrane
which grows.
Myoblast enter ST with nerve
innervation at 5th week from ventral
rami of C3-C5= PHRENIC NERVE

Defects in PCP canals= congenital

diaphragmatic hernia = lung will
develop abnormally