In the development of vertebrate animals, the pharyngeal arches (which develop i nto the branchial arches or gill arches

in fish) are anlage for a multitude of s tructures. In humans, they develop during the fourth week in utero as a series o f mesodermal outpouchings on the left and right sides of the developing pharynx. In fish, the branchial arches support the gills.

Contents [hide] 1 Development 2 Relations 3 Specific arches 4 Use in staging 5 See also 6 References 7 External links [edit] Development These grow and join in the ventral midline. The first arch, as the first to form , separates the mouth pit or stomodeum from the pericardium. By differential gro wth the neck elongates and new arches form, so the pharynx has six arches ultima tely. Each pharyngeal arch has a cartilaginous stick, a muscle component which differe ntiates from the cartilaginous tissue, an artery, and a cranial nerve. Each of t hese is surrounded by mesenchyme. Arches do not develop simultaneously, but inst ead possess a "staggered" development. [edit] Relations Pharyngeal pouches (or branchial pouches) form on the endodermal side between th e arches, and pharyngeal grooves (or clefts) form from the lateral ectodermal su rface of the neck region to separate the arches. [1] The pouches line up with the clefts, and these thin segments become gills in fis h. In mammals the endoderm and ectoderm not only remain intact, but continue to be separated by a mesoderm layer. [edit] Specific arches There are six pharyngeal arches, but in humans the fifth arch only exists transi ently during embryologic growth and development. Since no human structures resul t from the fifth arch, the arches in humans are I, II, III, IV, and VI. [2] More is known about the fate of the first arch than the remaining four. The firs t three contribute to structures above the larynx, while the last two contribute to the larynx and trachea.

Pharyngeal arch Muscular contributions[3]

Skeletal contributions Nerve Artery

1st (also called "mandibular arch") Muscles of mastication, anterior belly of the digastric, mylohyoid, tensor tympa ni, tensor veli palatini Maxilla, mandible (only as a model for mandible not actual formation of mandible ), the incus and malleus of the middle ear, also Meckel's cartilage Trigeminal nerve (V2 and V3) Maxillary artery, external carotid artery

2nd (also called the "hyoid arch") Muscles of facial expression, buccinator, platysma, stapedius, stylohyoid, poste rior belly of the digastric Stapes, styloid process, hyoid (lesser horn and upper part of body), Reichert's cartilage Facial nerve (VII) Stapedial artery, hyoid artery

3rd Stylopharyngeus Hyoid (greater horn and lower part of body), thymus, inferior parathyroids Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) Common carotid, internal carotid

4th Cricothyroid muscle, all intrinsic muscles of soft palate including levator veli palatini Thyroid cartilage, superior parathyroids, epiglottic cartilage[4] Vagus nerve (X), superior laryngeal nerve[5] Right 4th aortic arch: subclavian artery Left 4th aortic arch: aortic arch

6th All intrinsic muscles of larynx except the cricothyroid muscle Cricoid cartilage, arytenoid cartilages, corniculate cartilage[4] Vagus nerve (X), recurrent laryngeal nerve[5] Right 6th aortic arch: pulmonary artery Left 6th aortic arch: pulmonary artery and ductus arteriosus [edit] Use in staging The development of the pharyngeal arches provide a useful morphological landmark with which to establish the precise stage of embryonic development. Their forma tion and development corresponds to Carnegie stages 10 to 16 in mammals, and Ham burger-Hamilton stages 14 to 28 in the chicken