Development of
CNS
• Brain continue to grow structurally and functionally
• Brain adapts very well to new stimulus by rewiring the network
(Neuroplasticity)
• Engage your brain – new skills, art, exercise, travel experience, new
challenges = Neurobic exercise
• Critical thinking with profound knowledge - 6 dimensional branching of a
neuron
• Live in enriched physical and mental environment
• Balanced regular physical exercise helps to build smarter brain.
• Bilaminar germ disc ?
• Organogenesis ?
• Primitive streak – Hypoblast- Mesoderm - endoderm
• Notochord – Neurectoderm
Neurulation (begins at early part of 4th week)
• Neuroectoderm - neural plate formation
• Neural fold - Neural groove – neural tube – separation from ectoderm
• Differentiation of somites from intra embryonic mesoderm
•Cranio-caudal
fusion of the folds
•Neural canal
•Rostral and
caudal neuropore
formation
• A cell birthday = the day it stops division and move out of
proliferative zone = primitive neuron
• Brain continue to grow (alteration of neuronal number) after
birth ( first 2 years)
• Most neurons are formed in fetal life but not much synaptic
connections
• Synaptic connections establishes only by interaction with
the environment – through first 2 years
• During early stages of brain development, overproduction
of neurons leads to survival of the fittest synapses – Use it
or Loose it
Regression of tube from surface
Neural crest
• Differentiation of dorsal part of Neural folds
• Separation from the tube – Migration
Neural crest derivatives
• Neurons of Sympathetic, cranial nerve, spinal and enteric ganglion
• Adrenal medulla cells, chromaffin cells of endocrine
• Pre and para aortic bodies
• Melanocytes / pigment cells
• Schwann cells
• Pia & arachnoid cells
• Bone, cartilage, connective tissue cells
• Cono-trunkal cushions of the heart
Differentiation of Neural tube cells
• Pseudostratified
columnar
Neuroepithelial cells -
Neuroblast
• Proliferates – 3 layers =
Marginal, mantle and
ependymal layers
• Migration of Mantle
cells based on the
location
• Roof, Basal, Alar &
Basal plate formation
• Mantle layer – proliferates faster
• Migrates into Alar and Basal plate – separated by sulcus
limitans
• Alar plate (sensory) becomes posterior horn cells, Basal
plate (motor) = anterior horn cells
• Posterior part of neural canal obliterates = dorsal median
septum
• Anteriorly – basal layer grows anteriorly to form anterior
median fissure
Peripheral Nerve fibers
• Dorsal root ganglionic cells – from neural crest cells
• Dorsal roots – Central and peripheral process of Dorsal root
ganglion
• Ventral roots – peripheral process of ventral horn cells (Basal plate
cells)
• As alar and basal plate cells take positions in gray horns – rest of the
area occupied by ascending and descending tracts
Spinal cord/nerves Vs. Vertebral column
• 3rd month – length of spinal cord and vertebral column are equal (till
coccyx)
• Differential growth of vertebral column – leads to recession/ shortening of
spinal cord (lower border of L3 (at birth)– L2 (early childhood) – L1 (adult)
• Horizontally running spinal nerves to their corresponding intervertebral
foramen – now become obliquely directed = formation of cauda equina
below L1 vertebra
• Dura and arachnoid with subarachnoid space – extends up to S3
• Pia - attached to coccyx – becomes filum terminale interna and externa
Glial cells
III
• Glioblast -from neuroepithelial
I II
cells after neuroblast formation
- Astroblast & oligodendroblast
• Microglia - Mesenchymal cells
• Ependymal cells – from NE
cells after Neuroblast and
glioblast formation
Astrocytes
Neural tube defects (NTDs)
Spina
bifida
cystica
Spina
bifida
Spina bifida - cystica
occulta
In-vitro surgery !!
Known causes - Hyperthermia, valproic acid (a
anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer),
hypervitaminosis A
70% of reduced incidences with Folic Acid
intake
• Brain- from cranial part of Neural
tube (cranial to 4th pair of
somites)
• Primary brain vesicles -
Prosencephalon Mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon
• Secondary brain vesicles
Telencephalon, Diencephalon:
Metencephalon, Myelencephalon
• Neural canal – Cavities
• Anterior end of neural canal =
lamina terminalis
Midbrain
Flexure
pontine
Flexure
Cervical
Flexure
• Brain flexures – Midbrain, pontine & Cervical
• Sulcus limitans – up to midbrain : forebrain junction
• Basal & Alar plates- seen only up to midbrain
Extension of Alar (sensory) Basal (motar) plate cells into brain stem
• Forebrain vesicle - Diencephalon & Telencephalon
• Lateral ventricle & Third ventricle formation
• Formation of deep cerebral nuclei
Cerebral cortex
• Pallium ?. Achipallium( hippocampus), Paleopallium ( piriform area) and
neophallium (rest of the cortex)
• Plain surface (3rd month) - Primary fissures (7th month) - Secondary
fissures (till birth)
• Continue to fold in first 2 years
Myelination in brain
• Cranial nerves – 1st motor nerve ; 2nd
Sensory nerves; last- optic nerve
• Pyramidal tract – begins shortly before
birth & continues till 2 or 3 years.
• Good reflexes depend on good
myelination
Congenital anomalies of the
brain
• Absence of Carpus
callosum – surprisingly
function normally
• Anencephaly
• Microcephaly – smaller brain
leads to smaller skull
• Ossification defects in skull
Meningocele = only meninges
– Meningo-encephalocele –
meningeal sac + brain tissue
– Meningo-hydroencephalocele –
meningeal sac + brain + ventricle
• Functional defects of brain
• Internal hydrocephalus – block in Interventicular foramen
or cerebral aqueduct or foramen of luschka and Magendie
• External Hydrocephalus –
Increased venous pressure
in superior sagittal sinus =
defective drainage of CSF
into sinus
• Anencephaly –
defective closure of
anterior neuropore +
defective ossification of
skull
• Craniorachischisis
(NTDs of cranium + spinal cord)
• Can be detected at 2nd month
pregnancy
• Folic acid – 70% reduction
• Loss of midline axis
• Fusion of two lateral ventricles (holoprocencephaly)
• Loss of 2 visual field, fusion of eye (Synoophthalmia)
• Mutation in sonic hedgehog gene
Arnold-chiari
malformation
-Too small posterior
cranial fossa
Cerebellum protrude
through foramen
magnum+ Spina bifida +
meningomyelocele +
hydrocephaly
Factors effecting brain development (structural
and functional) during pregnancy
• Quality of nutrition – vitamins, minerals, iron,
+ protein, carbohydrate and fat..
• Alcohol, Cigarettes, Illegal Drugs, Caffeine,
Aspartame, and Monosodium Glutamate and
Lead
• Ionizing Radiation, Nonionizing Radiation,
Nonionizing Electromagnetic Radiation,
Microwaves and Radio Waves, MRI’s, and
Ultrasound
• Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Toxoplasmosis,
Genital Herpes, Chicken Pox, Syphilis, and
Influenza
• Maternal Hormones, Emotion, and Stress
• The idea of a mother’s well being and its
impact on the development and health of her
child
• Postnatal parental care -
Development of Pituitary gland
Parts
• Embryologically, structurally and functionally different
• Anterior lobe (Pars glandularis) Adenohypophysis = Pars tuberalis, Pars
Anterior, Intra glandular cleft, Intermediate lobe
• Posterior lobe (pars nervosa) neurohypophysis = Pars nervosa,
Infundibulum, Median eminence
Development
• Pars anterior – evagination of roof of the mouth/stomodeum =
Rathke’s pouch
• Anterior wall = pars distalis, tuberalis; Posterior wall = Pars
intermedia
• Cleft = intraglandular hypophysial cleft
• Pharyngeal hypophysis – remanent of Rathke’s pouch in the
roof of the nasopharynx – may turn to tumor
• Pars posterior – downward extension of floor of
diencephalon
• Differentiates into pars nervosa and infundibulum
USE it or LOOSE it !!!!
Thank you