This section of notes covers both kidney and genital development (More? Genital Notes). The kidneys filter and excrete waste body fliuds. The gonads are involved in developing secondary sex characteristics and generation of sex cells (gametes) for reproduction. These 2 systems have entirely different mature functions but are closely associated by the anatomical requirements of the mature system. The mesonephric/paramesonephric duct changes are one of the first male/female differences that occur in development, while external genitaila remain indeterminate in appearance for quite a while.
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Embryonic Kidney (Stage 13/14, cross-sections) |
Early Fetal Kidney (Week 10) |
The kidneys, urinary tract and the majority of the reproductive organs, arise in the intermediate mesoderm between the somites and the lateral plate. The kidney goes through 3 stages of development that recapitulate evolution of the kidney; pronephros, mesonephros, metanephros.
The specialized structures within the kidney involved with filtering the blood, reabsorbtion, secretion, and generation of urine are called nephrons. (More? see about Nephrons)
Sexual Differentiation: More specific section of notes covering male and female gonad internal and external genital development are currently in preparation (More? Genital Notes). There is also an online Medicine practical class (More? BGD Sexual Differentiation)
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Reading | Computer Activities | Objectives | Learning activities | Development Overview | Glossary | References
Related Pages: Nephron Development | Abnormalities | References | Stage13/14 | Stage 22 | Selected Human highpower | Genital | Genital Abnormalities | Urogenital Text only page | WWW Links
Quaggin SE, Kreidberg JA. Development of the renal glomerulus: good neighbors and good fences. Development. 2008 Feb;135(4):609-20. Epub 2008 Jan 9. Review.
"Recent studies have changed our conception of the glomerulus from a relatively static structure to a dynamic one, whose integrity depends on signaling between the three major cell lineages: podocytes, endothelial and mesangial cells."
Skinner MA, Safford SD, Reeves JG, Jackson ME, Freemerman AJ. Renal Aplasia in Humans Is Associated with RET Mutations. Am J Hum Genet. 2008 Feb;82(2):344-51.
" In animal models, kidney formation is known to be controlled by the proteins RET (REarranged during Transfection protooncogene), GDNF, and GFRA1. We assayed for mutations in these genes in 33 stillborn (human) fetuses that had bilateral or unilateral renal agenesis (29 subjects) or severe congenital renal dysplasia (4 subjects). Mutations in RET were found in 7 of 19 fetuses with bilateral renal agenesis (37%) and 2 of 10 fetuses (20%) with unilateral agenesis."
(More? Abnormalities | Molecular)
Brenner-Anantharam A, Cebrian C, Guillaume R, Hurtado R, Sun TT, Herzlinger D. Tailbud-derived mesenchyme promotes urinary tract segmentation via BMP4 signaling. Development. 2007 May;134(10):1967-75.
"Urinary tract morphogenesis requires the sub-division of the ureteric bud (UB) into the intra-renal collecting system and ureter, two tissues with unique structural and functional properties. ...results indicate that the border between the kidney and ureter forms where mesenchymal tissues originating in two different areas of the early embryo meet."
A meeting to synthesize an integrated view of the normal development and function of the kidney from the genetic standpoint. Forefronts Symposium on Nephrogenetics: from development to physiology March 8-11, 2007 Danvers, MA
Costantini F. Renal branching morphogenesis: concepts, questions, and recent advances. Differentiation. 2006 Sep;74(7):402-21.
UNSW Embryology: 2008 Science ANAT2341 - Embryology Lecture - Kidney Development | 2004 2004 Vertebrate Development Kidney slides (PDF 1 slide/page) | 2004 Kidney slides (PDF 4 slides/page) | 2004 Genital slides (PDF 1 slide/page) | 2004 Genital slides (PDF 4 slides/page)
Kidney Notes Pages: Abnormalities | References | Stage13/14 | Stage 22 | Selected Human highpower | Genital | Genital Abnormalities | Urogenital Text only page | WWW Links | Molecular | References
Human Embryology Movies: Cervical Nephrotomes, Mesonephros and Metanephros (553Kb) | Development of the Renal Collecting System (298Kb) | Development of the Primitive Urogenital Sinus (476Kb) | Trigone (187Kb) | Male Gonadal Development (434 Kb) | Femal Gonadal Development (315Kb) | Formation of Uterus and Vagina (706Kb) | Male Genitalia Development (434 Kb) | Female Genitalia Development (357Kb) | Descent of the Testes (221Kb) | Movies
Embryo Images Unit: Embryo Images Online | Urongenital Development | Primitive Kidney | Internal Genitalia | Definitive Kidney | External Genitalia
These serial sections are from the top of the lefthand primitive kidney through to the curve at the base of the kidney. Towards the bottom of each frame is the midline of the embryo.The full size images show much more detail. This panel is also available as a large image on the Pig st13/14 page.
The main feature to observe is the appearance medially of the mature metanephric region with the forming glomeruli, laterally the mesonephros still forms the bulk of the kidney (and the lateral dorsal bulge seen in the embryo) with the mesonephric duct and subcardinal vein the prominant channels within the kidney. The large vessel at the bottom left of each image is the dorsal aorta.
Beside the new glomeruli appearing as a slight thickening of the medial wall of the kidney is the genital ridge. This region will contribute to the gonad.
More Detail? Developmental Overview
Reviews
Quaggin SE, Kreidberg JA. Development of the renal glomerulus: good neighbors and good fences. Development. 2008 Feb;135(4):609-20. Epub 2008 Jan 9. Review.
Brenner-Anantharam A, Cebrian C, Guillaume R, Hurtado R, Sun TT, Herzlinger D. Tailbud-derived mesenchyme promotes urinary tract segmentation via BMP4 signaling. Development. 2007 May;134(10):1967-75.
A meeting to synthesize an integrated view of the normal development and function of the kidney from the genetic standpoint. Forefronts Symposium on Nephrogenetics: from development to physiology March 8-11, 2007 Danvers, MA
Costantini F. Renal branching morphogenesis: concepts, questions, and recent advances. Differentiation. 2006 Sep;74(7):402-21.
Articles
Skinner MA, Safford SD, Reeves JG, Jackson ME, Freemerman AJ. Renal Aplasia in Humans Is Associated with RET Mutations. Am J Hum Genet. 2008 Feb;82(2):344-51.
Search PubMed Sep 2008 "kidney development" 40,166 reference articles of which 6,197 were reviews..
Search PubMed Now: kidney development | renal development | intermediate mesoderm development | nephron development | bladder development |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Old Glossary |
bladder exstrophy - A congenital malformation with bladder open to ventral wall of abdomen (between umbilicus and pubic symphysis) and may have other anomolies associated with failure of closure of abdominal wall and bladder (epispadias, pubic bone anomolies).
blastema - Term used to describe a mass of undifferentiated cells. (More? Wilm's tumour)
diabetes insipidus - The disorder is related to the hormone antidiuretic hormone (ADH, also called vasopressin) its synthesis, secretion, receptors and signaling pathway. In diabetes insipidus there is an excretion of large amounts (up to 30 litres/day) of a watery urine and an unremitting thirst (More? Kidney Abnormalities - Diabetes Insipidus)
hydronephrosis - (congenital hydronephrosis, Greek, hydro = water) A kidney abnormality due to partial or complete obstruction at the pelvi-ureteric junction. This leads to a grossly dilated renal pelvis causing extensive renal damage before birth.
hyperplastic rests - In kidney development, embryonic blastema cells can persist and proliferate to form a pool of cells, which under either genetic or epigenetic influence can then change to become a neoplastic rest. Normally the majority of nephrogenic rests either regress or become dormant.
mesonephros - The second temporary stage of kidney development (pro-, meso-, meta-). The intermediate mesonephros develops and disappears with the exception of its duct, the mesonephric duct, which will form the male reproductive duct system. In males, the mesonephric tubules go on to form the ducts of the testis. In females, these degenerate. A few mesonephric tubules remain as efferent ductules in the male and vestigial remnants in the female.
mesonephric duct - (= Wollfian duct) An early developing urogenital duct running the length of the embryo that will differentiate and form the male reproductive duct system. In females this duct degenerates (some remnants may remain associated in broad ligament).
metanephros - The adult kidney, third stage of mammalian kidney (pro-, meso-, meta-) development within the intermediate mesoderm.
metanephric cap - In kidney development, the intermediate mesoderm which surrounds the ureteric bud and will develop into nephrons.
Multicystic Kidney - There is no functional kidney tissue present in the kidney and it is replaced by a multilocular cyst. This is non-familial and is produced by atresia of a ureter and is always unilateral.
neoplastic rest - In kidney development, a neoplastic rest can develop under either genetic or epigenetic influence from a hyperplastic rest, originating from an embryonic blastema cell. Normally the majority of nephrogenic rests either regress or become dormant.
nephrogenic rest - A kidney term used to describe the embryonic blastema cells which persist and under either genetic or epigenetic can change to become a neoplastic rest. These neoplastic rests can develop postnatally as a benign form (adenomatous rest) or a malignant Wilm's tumour form. The rests are further characterised by the time of generation leading to different anatomical kidney locations: early intralobar nephrogenic rests (within the renal lobe) and late pelilobar nephrogenic rests (periphery of the renal lobe) (More? Wilm's tumour | Urogenital Abnormalities)
nephron - (Greek, nephros = kidney) The functional unit of the kidney.
nephros - (Greek, nephros = kidney) Term used to describe features associated with the kidney. (pronephros, mesonephros, metanephros, nephric, nephron, nephroblastoma)
pronephros - (Greek, pro = before) The first temporary stage of kidney development (pro-, meso-, meta-). This forms the kidney of primitive fish and lower vertebrates. Kidney development occurs within the intermediate mesoderm interacting with endoderm. In humans, this very rudimentary kidney forms very early at the level of the neck. It is rapidly replaced by the mesonephros, intermediate stage kidney, differentiating in mesoderm beneath.
proteinuria - The abnormal presence of protein in the urine and an indicator of diesease including diabetic kidney disease (DKD, diabetic nephropathy).
renal - (Latin, renes = kidney) Term used in relation to the kidney and associated structures (renal pelvis, renal artery)
ureter - The two ureters are hollow tubes that link and carries urine from kidney to the bladder. The tubes have a muscular wall lined with transitional epithelium.
urethra - The single muscular tube that links and carries urine from the bladder to the exterior. In humans, the urethral length differs between the sexes (male longer, female shorter).
urinary - Term used to describe all components of the kidney system including the bladder, ureters and urethra.
urine - Term used to describe the liquid waste produced by the kidney, stored in the bladder and excreted from teh body through the urethra.
urorectal septum - (URS) The structure which develops to separate the cloaca (common urogenital sinus) into an anterior urinary part and a posterior rectal part.
Wilms' tumour - A form of kidney/renal cancer (nephroblastoma) named after Dr Max Wilms who first described the tumor. This childhood kidney cancer is caused by the inactivation of a tumour suppressor gene (BRCA2) or Wilms tumor-1 gene (Wt1) and is one of the most common solid tumors of childhood, occurring in 1 in 10,000 children and accounting for 8% of childhood cancers. Wt1 also required at early stages of gonadal development. (More? Kidney Abnormal Development | OMIM - Wilm's tumour | Dr Max Wilms)
Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein - (WTAP) protein expressed in extraembryonic tissues and required for the formation of embryonic mesoderm and endoderm.
Wolffian duct - (= mesonephric duct, preferred terminology), runs from the mesonephros to cloaca, differentiates to form the male vas deferens and in the female regresses. Named after Caspar Friedrich Wolff (1733-1794), a German scientist and early embryology researcher and is said to have established the doctrine of germ layers. (More? Caspar Friedrich Wolff)
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These notes cover development of both the Kidney and Reproductive systems due to their close developmental and anatomical relationships. A new set of separate notes covering each of these systems is under development.
The kidney goes through several stages of development before establishing the mature kidney.
The functional unit of the kidney, the nephron, develops through a classical epithelial/mesenchyme type of interaction.
The gonads have quite different origins and developmental features, but are closely physically associated. A new more specific section of notes is being developed covering male and female gonad and genital development.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.
