Gastrulation

Gastrulation: Mechanism & Types of Cell Movements in Gastrulation

What is Gastrulation?

Gastrulation is the most important event in the (beginning of) life. It is the characteristic event that occurs during the third week of gestation. It is the embryonic development that changes a hollow ball of cells; a blastula having a cavity in the middle called blastocoel, into a three-layered gastrula.

In organisms, there are two germ layers are called diploblastic organisms. For example, jellyfish, sea anemones, corals, etc. The organisms that form three layers are called triploblastic animals. Mollusks, echinoderms, vertebrates, etc. are examples of triploblastic organisms.

Mechanism of Gastrulation

The term gastrulation is derived from the Greek word “gaster” which means stomach or gut. These are the morphogenetic processes that rearrange the embryo into a three-layered gastrula.

Primary Germ Layers

The three primary germ layers are Ectoderm, Mesoderm, and Endoderm.

Ectoderm:

The outermost layer forms the epidermis or skin, nervous system and cornea, and lens of the eyes.

Mesoderm:

The mesoderm forms the circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, guts, stomach, and intestine.

Endoderm:

Endoderm forms the lining of the digestive, reproductive, respiratory tracts. It also leads to the formation of the liver and pancreas.

  • Archenteron, an embryonic gut is formed.
  • The main body axes form. These axes were determined during cleavage but specified during gastrulation.

The initiation of gastrulation is marked by the development of a groove in the caudal end of the epiblast layer referred to as the primitive streak. Thus, the development of primitive steak strongly develops the cranial/caudal axis.

The primitive streak at first forms through a thickening of cells near the connecting stalk. As cells proliferate and move towards the midline of the embryo, the thickening extends to become linear, therefore termed primitive steak.

The cranial end of the embryo appears to play an important role in beginning the process of gastrulation. At the cranial end of the primitive streak, epiblast cells ingress at a higher rate forming a circular cavity referred to as the primitive pit.

As the primitive streak and pit lengthen, migrating epiblast cells join the streak at the cranial end, forming a mass of cells called the primitive node, which ends up being the main tissue organizer where transcription elements and chemical signaling drive induction of tissue development.

Types of Cell Movements in Gastrulation

Gastrulation is a flux in embryos. There are complex series of cell movements. Cells rearrange themselves and find new neighbors, suitable environments and change the shape of the embryo. Following types of cytoskeletal events drive gastrulation.

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Invagination

It is in the folding of region cells at the vegetal pole. The sheet of epithelial cells moves inward from the surface and forms a tube-like cavity. The movement is invagination if the central cavity of the tube is formed by apical epithelium cells. If basal epithelium forms central cavity, then it will be termed evagination.

Invagination

Involution

The in-turning of an expanding outer layer of cells. Cells roll inward to form a layer of tissues with bulk movements.

Ingression

Migration of individual cells from the surface to the interior is ingression. For this purpose, many changes occur in the extracellular matrix, changes in cell adhesion molecules also take place. It is driven by cell adhesion.

Intercalation

The movement of cells between each other to form a row or array of cells. This occurs as a result of cell enlargement.

Epiboly

The complex series of movements including intercalation. A sheet of cells is formed covering the surface as an outcome of changes in the shape of cells.

Convergent Extension

The type of cell intercalation in which two or more rows of cells elongate and intercalate to make wide tissue into narrow-long tissue. They converge by intercalating at the right angle to the axis.

Delamination

Splitting up one sheet of cells into two is called delamination.

MCQs about Gastrulation

  • 1. What is gastrulation?
    • A) The process of forming a blastula
    • B) The process of forming a three-layered gastrula
    • C) The process of forming germ layers in an embryo
    • D) The process of forming a primitive streak
    • Answer: B) The process of forming a three-layered gastrula
  • 2. Which of the following is NOT a primary germ layer formed during gastrulation?
    • A) Ectoderm
    • B) Mesoderm
    • C) Exoderm
    • D) Endoderm
    • Answer: C) Exoderm
  • 3. What is the function of the primitive streak during gastrulation?
    • A) Formation of the endoderm
    • B) Specification of body axes
    • C) Formation of the circulatory system
    • D) Development of the nervous system
    • Answer: B) Specification of body axes
  • 4. What is the primary role of the primitive node during gastrulation?
    • A) Formation of the ectoderm
    • B) Induction of tissue development
    • C) Formation of the mesoderm
    • D) Specification of the cranial/caudal axis
    • Answer: B) Induction of tissue development
  • 5. Which type of cell movement involves the migration of individual cells from the surface to the interior during gastrulation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Intercalation
    • Answer: C) Ingression
  • 6. Which type of cell movement involves the folding of region cells at the vegetal pole during gastrulation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Intercalation
    • Answer: A) Invagination
  • 7. What is the term for the movement of cells between each other to form a row or array of cells during gastrulation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Intercalation
    • Answer: D) Intercalation
  • 8. Which type of cell movement involves the in-turning of an expanding outer layer of cells during gastrulation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Intercalation
    • Answer: B) Involution
  • 9. What is the outcome of convergent extension during gastrulation?
    • A) Elongation and intercalation of cells
    • B) Formation of a tube-like cavity
    • C) Migration of individual cells
    • D) Splitting up one sheet of cells into two
    • Answer: A) Elongation and intercalation of cells
  • 10. Which type of cell movement involves the splitting up of one sheet of cells into two during gastrulation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Delamination
    • Answer: D) Delamination
  • 11. Which germ layer forms the circulatory system during gastrulation?
    • A) Ectoderm
    • B) Mesoderm
    • C) Endoderm
    • D) Exoderm
    • Answer: B) Mesoderm
  • 12. What is the characteristic event that occurs during the third week of gestation in embryos?
    • A) Gastrulation
    • B) Cleavage
    • C) Blastulation
    • D) Fertilization
    • Answer: A) Gastrulation
  • 13. Which organisms are examples of triploblastic animals?
    • A) Jellyfish
    • B) Sea anemones
    • C) Corals
    • D) Vertebrates
    • Answer: D) Vertebrates
  • 14. What is the function of the archenteron during gastrulation?
    • A) Formation of the nervous system
    • B) Formation of the circulatory system
    • C) Development of the embryonic gut
    • D) Specification of body axes
    • Answer: C) Development of the embryonic gut
  • 15. Which Greek word is the term “gastrulation” derived from?
    • A) Gaster
    • B) Gastra
    • C) Gastrum
    • D) Gastric
    • Answer: A) Gaster
  • 16. Which type of cell movement involves a complex series of movements, including intercalation?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Epiboly
    • D) Convergent Extension
    • Answer: C) Epiboly
  • 17. What is the main function of gastrulation in embryonic development?
    • A) Formation of a blastula
    • B) Specification of body axes
    • C) Formation of the nervous system
    • D) Development of the circulatory system
    • Answer: B) Specification of body axes
  • 18. Which type of cell movement involves migration of cells to form a mass of cells called the primitive node?
    • A) Invagination
    • B) Involution
    • C) Ingression
    • D) Epiboly
    • Answer: C) Ingression
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Summary:

Gastrulation marks a critical event in embryonic development, transforming a hollow ball of cells into a three-layered gastrula. This process involves rearranging the embryo into primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. The initiation of gastrulation is signaled by the formation of a primitive streak, which plays a crucial role in specifying body axes.

Various types of cell movements drive gastrulation, including invagination, involution, ingression, intercalation, epiboly, convergent extension, and delamination. These movements involve complex rearrangements of cells to form new tissue structures and establish proper embryonic architecture. Each type of cell movement contributes to the morphogenetic processes that shape the developing embryo.

Understanding the mechanisms and types of cell movements in gastrulation is essential for comprehending the fundamental processes of embryonic development and the formation of diverse tissues and organs in multicellular organisms.