The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 3 (of 4) : $b A treatise on comparative embryology: VertebrataBalfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Science
The works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 3 (of 4) : $b A treatise on comparative embryology: Vertebrata
Balfour, Francis M. (Francis Maitland)
Embryology; Zoology
In C, which represents a vertical longitudinal section of later
date, both head-fold (on the right) and tail-fold (on the left) have
advanced considerably. The alimentary canal is therefore closed in,
both in front and behind, but is in the middle still widely open to
the yolk _y_ below. Though the axial parts of the embryo have become
thickened by growth, the body-walls are still thin; in them however
is seen the cleavage of the mesoblast, and the divergence of the
somatopleure and splanchnopleure. The splanchnopleure both at the
head and at the tail is folded in to a greater extent than the
somatopleure, and forms the still wide splanchnic stalk. At the end
of the stalk, which is as yet short, it bends outwards again and
spreads over the surface of the yolk. The somatopleure, folded in
less than the splanchnopleure to form the wider somatic stalk,
sooner bends round and runs outwards again. At a little distance
from both the head and the tail it is raised up into a fold, _af_,
_af_, that in front of the head being the highest. These are the
amniotic folds. Descending from either fold, it speedily joins the
splanchnopleure again, and the two, once more united into an uncleft
membrane, extend some way downwards over the yolk, the limit or
outer margin of the opaque area not being shewn. All the space
between the somatopleure and the splanchnopleure is shaded with
dots, _pp_. Close to the body this space may be called the
pleuroperitoneal cavity; but outside the body it runs up into either
amniotic fold, and also extends some little way over the yolk.
D represents the tail end at about the same stage on a more enlarged
scale, in order to illustrate the position of the allantois _al_
(which was for the sake of simplicity omitted in C), shewn as a bud
from the splanchnopleure, stretching downwards into the
pleuroperitoneal cavity _pp_. The dotted area representing as before
the whole space between the splanchnopleure and the somatopleure, it
is evident that a way is open for the allantois to extend from its
present position into the space between the two limbs of the
amniotic fold _af_.
E, also a longitudinal section, represents a stage still farther
advanced. Both splanchnic and somatic stalks are much narrowed,
especially the former, the cavity of the alimentary canal being now
connected with the cavity of the yolk by a mere canal. The folds of
the amnion are spreading over the top of the embryo and nearly meet.
Each fold consists of two walls or limbs, the space between which
(dotted) is as before merely a part of the space between the
somatopleure and splanchnopleure. Between these arched amniotic
folds and the body of the embryo is a space not as yet entirely
closed in.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account