BGD Practical - Gastrointestinal Tract Development
From Embryology
Introduction
This practical is an introduction to development of the Gastro-Intestinal Tract (GIT).
Key Concepts: endoderm, foregut, midgut, hindgut, buccopharyngeal membrane, cloacal membrane, mesenteries, peritoneal space, midgut herniation, folding, liver, pancreas, spleen
Key Reading:
BGD-B 2009 Laboratory Notes: Practical 1: Embryology of the Gastrointestinal Tract (PDF 4 pages, 260 kB) Human Embryology, WJ. Larsen Chapter 9 p229-260 The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (6th ed.) Moore & Persaud Chapter 12 p271-302
Where should I start with GIT?
Here's one suggestion.
- Firstly, in normal development many organs/tissues have origins and intermediate structures, forms, or relationships which occur at specific times. So try and relate the appearance of the GIT to specific times in development.
- Next, in normal development there are many physical processes occurring: differentiation, migration, folding, cavitation, growth, elongation, proliferation, cell death, etc. Only some of these are processes will be visible in the images we will be looking at. Use the movies and animations to help your understanding of dynamic processes.
- Next, anatomical tissues and organs are in general formed from a number of different embryonic origins. Abnormalities in any one of these original tissues or processes can have subsequent effects on the development or function of specific organs.
- Remember that the prenatal GIT is digestively functionally inactive (nutrition is through the placenta) compared to the postnatal GIT (though other specific functions can be occurring prenatally).
- Finally, even with the best diet postnatal growth and health is dependent upon a properly functioning GIT system.
Here's another suggestion. As you follow the timecourse of GIT development think about:
- What contributes
- What develops
- What functions
- What changes
