The primitive gut forms during the 4th week of

the development as a result of cephalocaudal and

lateral folding of the embryo. This endoderm lined
cavity is incorporated into the embryo, while the yolk
sac and the allantois remain temporarily by outside the
embryo.
The endoderm of the primitive gut gives rise to the
epithelium and glands of the digestive tract. The
muscular and fibrous elements of the digestive tract
are derived from the splanchnic mesoderm. The
epithelium at the cranial and caudal extremities of the
digestive tract is derived from the ectoderm of the
stomodeum and the proctodeum (anal pit).

Formation of the gut

1. Foregut
2. Hindgut
3. Midgut
4. Central nervous system
5. Tracheobronchial
diverticulum
6. Heart
7. Liver bud
8. Buccopharyngeal
membrane
Formation of the primitive gut
9. Vitelline duct
10. Allantois
11. Cloacal membrane
 New advances in human embryology:
morphofunctional relationship between the embryo and the
yolk sac.

Pereda T J, Motta PM.

Laboratorio de Embriología Humana, Facultad de
Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile,
Casilla 442, Correo 2, Santiago, Chile.
jpereda@lauca.usach.cl
Organogenesis occurs during the first 8 weeks of
human embryonic development; in consequence, early
human growth and development take place before and in
the absence of fully developed internal organs. During
this period, normal development depends on several
factors, but two are imperative: nutrition and a functional
transport system for the distribution of nutrients and for
waste disposal. The yolk sac (YS), a highly differentiated
adnexal organ, is known to accomplish this fundamental
task during early pregnancy. In this review, we
summarize our contribution to the understanding of early
human embryology, focusing interest on analysis of the
morphofunctional link that is established between the
human embryo and the YS during the embryonic period.
Embryos were collected from the gestational sac after
salpingectomies performed on patients with singleton
pregnancies occurring in the fallopian tube. Samples of YS
were taken from 20 human embryos at Carnegie stages
ranging from 12 to 20. The age of the embryo was
estimated from data of the patient's last menstrual
history and confirmed from crown-rump length
measurements and morphological characteristics of the
specimen. The samples were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde
and then postfixed in 2% osmium tetroxide and prepared
for light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy
according to conventional techniques. The samples were
examined with a Philips 301 EM and an S-4000 Hitachi
field emission SEM. The yolk stalk, and the YS wall with
its corresponding endodermal, mesenchymal, and
mesothelial layers, were analyzed. In accordance with
their morphological features, the endodermal cells are
equipped with organelles to fulfill several functions that
are expressed in absorption from the vitelline cavity via
microvilli present into the outer cell surface, in secretion
to the extracellular space, and in the synthesis of
numerous proteins which are transported by the
bloodstream to the embryo. The mesothelial surface is
provided with cell-surface differentiation that promotes a
protective coat to prevent damage from compression or
friction of the YS wall against the amnios, umbilical cord,
and chorionic cavity wall during growth. The mesenchyme
is the main site for blood vessel formation and gives rise
to a network that provides the embryo with nutrients and
a means of waste disposal. A critical analysis of the role
of the endodermal vesicle in the production of fluid that is
accumulated in the YS, and of the role that the vitelline
duct play in the exchange function between the YS and
intestinal tract, is presented. We have demonstrated that
the vitelline duct is not functional after week 5 because of
the closure of its lumen. This finding is discussed with
reference to the biological meaning of the vitelline duct
and its functional period of activity, and its possible role in
the physiology of exchange during the embryonic period
is assessed.