PHARYNGEAL

APPARATUS

Mothers worry
A four year old boy presented
with a swelling in the neck
region. O/E it was small, non
tender and mobile located
along anterior border of
sternocleidomastoid.
O/E of oral cavity, a discharge
was seen coming out from the
area of palatine tonsil
What is your diagnosis?
What is embryological basis of this
condition?

PHARYNGEAL

ARCHES

Objectives: by the end of this

LGIS the students will be able to:
Discuss the Formation of pharyngeal
arches
Enlist the contribution/ sources
Enumerate the components of
pharyngeal apparatus
Identify the derivatives

PHARYNGEAL ARCHES
4th week of development
characteristic external appearance of
embryo
bars of mesenchymal tissue
First three arches
5th weeks of development
Last two arches
Roman numerals
I,II,III,IV, VI

4, 6

PHARYNGEAL ARCHES

Arches have 3 layered membrane

Ectoderm externally
Mesenchymal core
Endoderm internally

1st arch
2nd arch
3rd arch
4th arch

1st cleft

PHARYNGEAL ARCHES
Each arch separated by:

Pharyngeal Cleft/Groove on the outside

Pharyngeal Pouch on the inside
Separated by Pharyngeal Membrane
Pouches penetrate mesenchyme but do not communicate with clefts

1st pouch

artery

1st arch
2nd arch

nerve

1st cleft

3rd arch
4th arch

cartilage

PHARYNGEAL ARCHES
Each arch in the
mesenchyme

contains:
cartilage
aortic arch
cranial nerve

1st pouch

Artery

1st arch
2nd arch

ncartilage

1st cleft

3rd arch
4th arch

nerve

Sources of Mesenchyme

lateral plate mesoderm

connective tissue

Paraxial mesoderm
First four occipital somites & Cephalic somitomeres
Neural crest cells
Ectomesenchyme
Midfacial and pharyngeal arch skeletal structures
All other tissues:
cartilage, bone, dentin, tendon, dermis, pia and
arachnoid, sensory neurons, and glandular stroma.
Ectodermal placodes
5th, 7th, 9th & 10th cranial sensory ganglia.

Arch component
Skeletal component
Cartilaginous rod from ecto
-mesenchyme (neural crest
cells)
Muscular component
Striated muscles
Original mesoderm of arch
Cranial nerve
Neuroectoderm of primodial brain
Motor branches muscles
Sensory branches skin and CT
Arterial component
Aortic arches connecting heart
to dorsal aorta

First Pharyngeal Arch

Develops into 4
prominences:
Two maxillary
prominences
Two mandibular
prominences

Maxillary prominences
Two in number

Cartilagenous bar
Quadrate cartilage
Disappear
Intramembranous
ossification;
Maxilla
Zygomatic
Squamous part of
Temporal bone

Mandibular Prominences
Contains Meckels cartilage
Middle part of cartilage
disappears
Perichondrium persists
Sphenomandibular ligament
Anterior ligament of malleus

Posterior part
Intracartilagenous
ossification
incus & malleus

Anterior part
Intramembranous
ossification
Mandible

Muscles of first arch

Muscles of
mastication,
Mylohyoid
Anterior belly of
digastric
Tensor tympni
Tensor palatini
Trigeminal nerve
supply

Second pharyngeal arch

Hyoid arch
Contains Reicherts cartilage
lesser horn & upper part of body
of hyoid bone
Styloid process of temporal bone
stylohyoid ligament; b/w above
two, formed by perichondrium
Stapes
Muscles of the hyoid arch
muscles of facial expression.
stapedius, stylohyoid, posterior
belly of digastric, auricular
muscles
Facial nerve
Supplies muscles.

Third pharyngeal arch

Cartilage
lower part of body &
greater horn of hyoid
bone

Musculature
stylopharyngeus
muscle.

Glossopharyngeal
nerve
nerve of third arch

Fourth and sixth pharyngeal arches

Cartilaginous components
Thyroid
Arytenoid
cricoid
corniculate
cuneiform cartilages

Epiglotis from 3rd & 4th arch;

hypopharyngeal eminence

Muscles (4th )
constrictors of pharynx
cricothyroid
levator veli palatini
superior laryngeal branch of
vagus
Muscles (6th)
Intrinsic muscles of larynx
recurrent laryngeal branch of
vagus

Pharyngeal clefts/ grooves

First cleft: External auditory meatus

2nd , 3rd, 4th clefts
Overgrowth of 2nd arch
Cervical sinus
Disappears when neck develop

1st pouch
1st arch
2

nd

arch

3rd arch
4th arch

cervical
sinus

external
auditory
meatus

auditory
tube

Ectoderm
1st Arch
skin
Over maxilla, mandible
Around ear and External auditory meatus

salivary glands
enamel of teeth
epithelium of buccal cavity
epithelium over anterior body of tongue

Ectoderm
Second Arch
Epithelium over part of external auditory
meatus
some epithelium behind the ear

Third Arch & Fourth Arch

Epithelium around the ear

QUESTIONS? ? ?