10mm Frog Embryo Jacobsons organ
- Saccular structure fromed by the evagination of the nasal
Whole Mount
Same as the 7mm frog.
Transverse section
Level of the Telencephalon and Olfactory Organs
Telencephalon
- Anterior division of the prosencephalon
- Paired and each unit is roughly hemispherical but flattened
at the midline
- Each contains a cavity, known as the lateral ventricle
formed by the evagination of the side of the neural tube at
the anterior end of the neurocoel
Layers of brain under HPO:
- Ependymal layer
One cell thick, ciliated layer immediately
surrounding the neurocoel
Cilia aid in the movement of the cerebrospinal
fluid in the ventricles of the brain and in the
central canal of the spinal cord
- Mantle layer
Broad layer adjacent to the ependymal layer
Form: gray matter of the central nervous system
- Marginal layer
Outermost layer
Contains neuroblast from the inner layers and
nerve fibers
Form: white matter of the central nervous
system
Nasal Organ
- Found at the region of the telencephalon and lying ventral
to it
- Formed by the invagination of the ectoderm
The olfactory nerve connecting the olfactory lobes to the brain
arises from the olfactory epithelium.
Syn: olfactory organ
External naris
- Opening of the nasal cavity to the outside
- Marks the point of the original ectodermal invagination
Internal naris
- Opening of the nasal cavity into the buccal region
Syn: choana
Frontal organ
- Structure arises as an evagination of the diencephalic roof
together with the epiphysis
- Beneath the epidermis, it migrates forward from the region
of the diencephalon to the region of the telencephalon.
- Contains photoreceptors and may function as a third eye
organ
- Function in picking up the smell of food from the buccal
region
Syn: vomeronasal organ
Buccal cavity
- Region where the nasal cavity and mouth opens
- Lined with epithelium and is derived from stomodeum
- Jaws are tipped with many horny material and tooth germs
at this region
- External to the jaws are lobose structures called the oral
papillae
Prechordal cartilage
- Hyaline cartilages beneath the telencephalon which will
form the cartilaginous cranium called the chondocranium
Syn: trabecular cartilage
Melanocytes
- Stellate cells scattered over the dorsolateral region of the
brain and lateral to the nasal organs
- Fine granules of melanin (light brown individually; black in
aggregate)
Mesenchyme
- Stellate , mesodermal cells filling up the space between the
organs and the epidermis
- Form a loose reticulum with the outermost cells forming
the dermis of the integument
Epidermis
- Outer layer of the skin composed of two strata of
ectodermal cells
Free melanin granules and melanocytes can be seen here
under the HPO
Level of the Diencephalon and the eye
Diencephalon
- Posterior subdivision of the prosencephalon that is
ventrally elongated and possesses a cavity called the III
ventricle
Ifundibulum
- Funnel-like evagination of the diencephalic floor
- Subsequently evaginatates the posterior or neural tube of
the pituitary together with the stomodeum
In the more posterior sections of the diencephalons, this is
seen as a smaller, ventral component of the diencephalon
with thin roof and thick sides.
Mesencephalon
- Middle region of the brain dorsal to the diencephalons
- Bears the 3rd and 4th cranial nerves
- Possesses a cavity known as the cerebral aqueduct
Pituitary body
- Oval mass beneath the thin floor of the infundibulum
- Endocrine gland derived from the infundibulum and a solid
ingrowth from the stomodeum
If tracing is continued posteriorly, the hypophysis
disappears and the tip of the notochord, flanked by
parachordal cartilages will be seen.
Syn: hypophysis
Eye
Optic cup
Layers of the optic cup:
- Retina
Thick inner layer of the optic cup
Differentiated into the following layers:
o Layer of ganglian cells (innermost
sublayer of the retina)
The axons of the nerve cells in this
sublayer form the optic nerve. The
region where the optic nerves cross in
the floor of the diencephalon is known
as the optic chiasma.
o Layer of the bipolar neurons
Middle layer of cells that will synapse
the receptor and the ganglian cells.
o Rods and cones
Outermost sublayer of the retina
where the photoreceptoral process is
formed.
Pigmented epithelium
- outer wall of the optic cup formed from the medial half of
the optic vesicle
Forms: iris of the eye
Lens
- spherical body, partly enclosed by the optic cup
- formed by the thickenings of the inner wall of the lens
vesicle
- Lens epithelium
One-cell thick outer layer
- Lens fibers
Columnar cells at the core of the lens that will
later become long fibers arranged in layers
Cornea
- Superficial covering of the eye formed by an assembly of
ectodermal and mesodermal cells between the ectoderm
and the lens
Choroid and sclera
- Outer investments of the optic cup
- At this stage of development, they are represented by the
mesodermal cells aggregating outside the pigmented
epithelium.
Pharynx
- Broad gut at this level which is lined by endodermal cells
Hypobranchial cartilages
- Long masses of cartilages under the floor of the foregut
that make up parts of the visceral skeleton and support
the pharynx
Thyroid
- A pair of small endocrine bodies associated with the
pharynx located beneath the hypobranchial cartilages
Skeletal muscle
- Mesodermal masses lying on the lateral and ventral side of
the pharynx
Oral suckers
- A pair of glandular structures
- Composed of elongated columnar cells
- Ventral surface of the tadpole that produce a sticky slime
for attachment to floating objects
Syn: cementglands, mucous glands, adhesive glands
Level of the Myelencephalon and Auditory vesicle
Myelencephalon
- Most posterior region of the brain with a thick floor (basal
plates)
- In later development, its thin roof becomes vascularized to
Form: posterior choroids plexus
- Cavity is the IV ventricle
Auditory vesicle
- A completely closed hallow organ on each side of the
medulla
- Endolymmphatic duct
Thick-walled tube between the medulla and the
ear vesicle
Marks the course of the invagination of the
auditory vesicle from the ectoderm
- Utriculus
Large dorsal chamber of the ear vesicle
- Semicircular canals
The three mutually perpendicular folds of the
auditory vesicle that is observed in older
specimens
The sensory epithelium is represented here by
the thickened horizontal canal
- Sacculus
Ill-defined ventral chamber of the auditory
vesicle
Forms: lagena in lower vertebrates
Forms: cochlea in higher vertebrates
Auditory capsule
- Mesenchymal cells surrounding the auditory vesicle that
will form the cartilaginous ear capsule that surrounds and
protects the inner ear
Auditory ganglion
- Mass of nerve cells on the medial side of the auditory
vesicle
Syn: acoustic ganglion
Notochord - Trigeminal ganglion (V)
A larger mass of nerve cells bodies anterior and
- Round structure originating from mesoderm dorsal to the acoustico-facialis ganglion
- Lying dorsal to the gut and ventral to the hindbrain Syn: semilunar ganglion
- Defines the anterior/posterior axis in the developing - Glossopharyngeal ganglion
embryo
External wall of the opercular cavity formed by a
- Provides skeletal support during early development
body fold
Mesenchymal cells of the notochord
Metencephalon
Form: notochordal sheath
- Anterior subdivision of the rhombencephalon
Parachordals - Lies behind the optic lobes and medial to the V ganglion

- Cartilages flanking the notochord on each side

Heart Level of the Pronephros and first spinal ganglion

- a lightly coiled tube twisted to the right
Spinal cord
Pericardial cavity - Derived from the posterior region of the neural tube
- chamber enclosing the hear
Neural Canal
Conus arteriosus - The cavity that is laterally compressed by the thick lateral
- most anterior region of the heart walls of the spinal cord
- connects the ventricle with the ventral aorta - Ependymal cells that line the central canal possess cilia
Syn: bulbus cordis and pigment granules
Syn: central canal
Ventricle
- heart chamber that receives blood from the sinus venosus Gray matter
and delivers it to the ventricle - Inner layer of the spinal cord close to the ependymal
- Composed of a compact mass of neuroblast and neuroglia
Atrium
- dorsal, thin-walled chamber that receives blood from the White matter
sinus venosus and delivers it to the ventricle - Peripheral layer of the spinal cord containing the axons of
the neurons in the gray matter
Sinus venosus
- most posterior chamber lying on the right, anterior to the Meninges
liver - Membranous covering of the central nervous system
- receives the venous blood and delivers it to the atrium which begins to form at this developmental stage

Opercular cavity First spinal ganglia

- paired chamber continuous with the gut and lying on each
side of the heart
- contains the internal gills with branchial blood vessels
Syn: gill chamber
Dorsal aorta
- blood vessel located above each gill chamber
Aortic arches
- blood vessels lying within the branchial arches and
encircling the pharynx
- connect the dorsal aorta with the ventral aorta
The aortic arches that are involved are 3-6 because they
are gill bearing.
Ganglia
- Facial ganglion (VII)
Large mass of nerve cell bodies
Anterior to the auditory ganglion
Acoustico-facialis ganglion body arising from
the fusion of the facial and auditory ganglia
Syn: geniculate ganglion
- Masses of nerve cell bodies ventrolateral to the spinal cord
Myotomes
- Thickened primordia of skeletal muscles on each side of
the notochord
- Skeletal muscle fibers are arranged longitudinally
Pleroperitineal cavity
- Coelomic cavity containing the viscera except the heart
- The pleural cavity that contains the lungs and the
peritoneal cavity that contains the digestive organs,
associated glands, kidney, and reproductive organs are still
continuous.
Esophagus
- Tubular organ with folded mucosal lining located below
the notochord
Dorsal aorta
- Paired blood vessel between the notochord and the
esophagus
- Fuse into a single blood vessel posteriorly
Pronephros
- Paired excretory organs that arise from the nephrotome
- Located at the ventrolateral region of the body cavity

Pronephric tubules
- Ducts of the pronephros lined by cuboidal epithelium

Posterior cardinal veins

- Blood vessels within the pronephros and supplies the
latter with blood

Nephrostome
- Opening of the pronephric tubules into the coelom

Nephric duct
- Lone duct that can be observed at the most caudal section
of the pronephros
- Moves medially and eventually joins the cloaca where it
empties its contents

Glomus
- Two triangular shaped strucutres
- Seen ventrally to the dorsal aorta that hang down into the
coelomic cavity
- Tufts of small blood vessels surrounded on their lateral
and ventral surfaces by the thin wall of coelom
- Glomi are functional components of the pronephric kidney
- Waste products from the blood diffuse from the glomi into
the coelomic fluid

Stomach
- Posterior continuation of the esophagus with folded lining
and thick muscular walls
- Evaginations of the endodermal lining form the rudiments
of the gastric glands

Duodenum
- Region of the gut between the pyloric end of the stomach
and the intestine
- Represented here in the upper right corner of the body
cavity

Intestine
- Located posterior to the duodenum and is filled with the
abundant yolk platelets

Liver
- Highly vascularized and enlarged organ to the right of the
midline
- Spaces in it are called sinusoids

Gall bladder
- Once-cell thick, large vesicle associated with the liver

Bile duct
- Thick-walled tube that appears in place of the gallbladder

Pancreas
- Large organ within the curvature of the stomach
- Located to the right of the liver and bile duct
- Identified by the presence of the nest of cells (alveoli)
surrounding small ducts