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Related Concept Videos

Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification01:29

Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Development of the Limb Synovial Joints01:07

Development of the Limb Synovial Joints

Joints form during embryonic development in conjunction with the formation and growth of the associated bones. The embryonic tissue that gives rise to all bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of the body is called mesenchyme.
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification01:24

Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification

Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...
Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
Bone Remodeling01:40

Bone Remodeling

Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.

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Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
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Skeletal morphogenesis during embryonic development.

Yingzi Yang1

  • 1Developmental Genetics Section, Genetic Disease Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. yingzi@mail.nih.gov

Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression
|November 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Skeletal system development in vertebrates involves mesenchymal stem cells differentiating into bone or cartilage. Cell signaling and transcription factors are key regulators of this complex embryonic process.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Skeletal Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The vertebrate skeletal system is mesoderm-derived and crucial for mechanical support, protection, and systemic homeostasis.
  • Skeletal formation begins with mesenchymal condensations, where osteochondral progenitors commit to chondrocytes (cartilage) or osteoblasts (bone).
  • The initial cell fate choice dictates whether ossification proceeds via endochondral or intramembranous pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the embryonic developmental processes of the vertebrate skeletal system.
  • To highlight the regulatory roles of cell-cell signaling in skeletal development.
  • To elucidate the function of transcription factors in osteochondral progenitor cell fate determination.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing literature on skeletal embryogenesis.
  • Focuses on molecular mechanisms governing cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and organization.
  • Examines signaling pathways and transcription factor networks involved.

Main Results:

  • Osteochondral progenitor cell fate is regulated by intricate cell-cell signaling networks.
  • Specific transcription factors orchestrate the differentiation pathways towards chondrogenesis or osteogenesis.
  • These molecular programs ensure proper skeletal structure and function.

Conclusions:

  • Skeletal development is a highly regulated process involving precise control of cell behavior.
  • Cell-cell signaling and transcription factors are indispensable for guiding osteochondral progenitor differentiation.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for addressing skeletal disorders.