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Olfactory structures in staged human embryos.
1School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Cells, Tissues, Organs
|December 18, 2004
Summary
This study details the embryonic development of the human olfactory system, revealing new insights into neural crest migration and the formation of olfactory brain connections. Early embryonic stages show distinct patterns for olfactory nerve development and cell differentiation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Human Embryology
- Neuroanatomy
Background:
- The early development of the human olfactory system is not fully understood.
- Detailed embryonic investigations are crucial for mapping neural development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the embryonic development of the human olfactory region.
- To identify novel findings regarding olfactory system formation during the embryonic period.
Main Methods:
- Serial sectioning of 303 human embryos.
- Precise graphic reconstructions of 23 embryos.
- Integration of findings using developmental staging.
Main Results:
- Nasal plates arise at the neurosomatic junction, similar to otic placodes.
- Olfactory nerve fibers enter the brain by stage 17; vomeronasal and nervus terminalis fibers by stages 17-18.
- Early indications of cebocephaly may appear by stage 13.
Conclusions:
- The olfactory crest migration period is longer than that of the cranial neural crest.
- Olfactory bulb lamination and mitral cell appearance occur late in the embryonic period.
- Neuronal migration streams from the olfactory bulb to the claustrum are identified.