DEVELOPMENT OF THE

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

and the structures that carry it

I. Develops relative to embryo’s needs

A. During early development diffusion of oxygen, wastes,

nutrients, etc. suffices
B. As embryo grows larger, metabolic needs increase,
diffusion no longer sufficient.
C. Circulatory system begins to develop

II. First evidence of

circulatory structures seen in
yolk sac, extraembryonic
splanchnic mesoderm - area
opaca vasculosa - blood
islands
(primitive blood cells
and blood stem cells)
III. Blood stem cells - where do they come from?

A. Sites of production from stem cells change as the human

embryo develops.

1. At 4 weeks after fertilization - stem cells are located

in the extraembryonic splanchnic mesoderm of
the yolk sac.

2. At 5 weeks - in body mesenchyme of embryo.

3. At 6 weeks - in developing liver.

4. At 8-16 weeks - in developing spleen, thymus and

lymph nodes.

5. At 16 weeks and beyond - in bone marrow

B. Evidence suggests there are two different sources for blood
stem cells.
1. Initially from the extraembryonic splanchnic mesoderm of
the yolk sac, and then migrate into the embryo.
a. “Primitive stem cells”
b. Produce mature erythrocytes that have a nucleus.

2. Later in development a new population of stem cells arises.

Recent research suggests that these stem cells arise from
endothelial cells that line the aorta.
a. By 16 weeks of development these stem cells populate the
bone marrow
b. These cells are the blood stem cells that give rise to enucleate
erythrocytes (red blood cells).
 IV. Circulatory system in mammals

A. Basic circulatory loop

arterioles

arteries
capillaries

ventricle

venules
atrium

veins
There are 3 major arcs (or loops) associated with the developing
embryo. 1. Embryonic, 2. Vitelline (yolk sac), 3. Allantoic
B. Basic adult mammalian circulation
C. Early embryonic circulation
D. How is the adult circulatory pattern established?
If we look at adult vertebrate species from primitive fish, to reptiles, to birds, to
mammals, there are gross structural differences in the pattern of circulation.
These differences are there to accommodate the specific adult needs (e.g. fish
have gills, mammals don’t).

These differences are so great, that if only the adult

circulatory system was used to establish taxonomic
classification, in some cases we would probably say that,
for example, fish and mammals are not related.

If we look at the embryonic circulatory systems of all

vertebrates, we find that they are basically the same.

The adult systems are derived from the basic embryonic

system such that they meet the needs of the adult.
 Conversion of the early embryonic
circulatory system to the adult
configuration.
Involves:
A. Degeneration of some embryonic vessels or of
parts of embryonic vessels.

B. Hypertrophy of parts of some vessels.

C. Anastomosis (fusion) of some vessels.

D. Separations of single embryonic vessels into two.

E. Loss of connection between some vessels and in

some cases reconnection somewhere else.

F. Formation of new vessels.

 Views from the ventral side of the animal

Right Left Right Left

From Carlson, B.M. 1996. Patten’s Foundations of

Embryology. McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York. 6th
edition. p. 618
Right Left
 human

in the embryo

Right Left
 4 4th
trunku
truncus
trunkus truncus
trunkus
s
brachiocephalic artery and
pulmonary pulmonary trunk
trunk systemic trunk and ascending aorta

The conotruncus
Fate of the Truncus Arteriosus
Contributes to the systemic trunk and a portion of the pulmonary trunk.

Conus
Divided into the bases of the pulmonary and systemic trunks
green - dorsal aortic roots Modified from Carlson, B.M. 1996.
Patten’s Foundations of Embryology.
purple - 3rd aortic arches McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York. 6th
red - 4th aortic arches edition. p. 618

black - ventral aortic roots and trunkus arteriosus

orange - 6th aortic arches
yellow - conotruncus
blue - intersegmental arteries

These figures present a ventral view

 Adult vessels Right Left Right Left
Color indicates
embryonic
derivation
green - dorsal aortic
roots
purple - 3rd aortic
arches
red - 4th aortic
arches
Brachio-
black - ventral aortic cephalic
artery
roots and trunkus
orange - 6th aortic
arches
yellow - conotruncus

blue - interseg- Vertebral artery

mental arteries

Subclavian artery

These figures present

Modified from Carlson, B.M. 1996.
a ventral view Patten’s Foundations of Embryology.
McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York. 6th
edition. p. 618
Venous Circulation
Four Major Systems
1. Systemic (other than hepatic)

2. Hepatic

3. Pulmonary

4. Placental (Umbilical)
Conversion of the early embryonic circulatory
system to the adult configuration.

Involves:

A. Degeneration of some embryonic vessels or

their parts.
B. Hypertrophy of parts of some vessels.
C. Anastomosis (fusion) of some vessels.
D. Loss of connection between some vessels and
in some cases reconnection to another vessel.
E. Formation of new vessels.
 Posterior Systemic circulation
Formation of the inferior vena cava

anterior
anterior

posterior
posterior

Adapted from Hopper, A.F. and N.H. Hart, 1985. Foundations of animal development. Oxford University press. New York, p. 434
Components of the inferior
vena cava
 These figures present a ventral view

Green - anterior cardinal veins Yellow - vitelline veins Orange - supracardinal veins
Purple - common cardinal veins Blue, blue - posterior cardinal veins
Olive - sinus venosus Red, red - subcardinal veins

Hepatic segment

Mesenteric segment

Renal segment

Sub-/Supra-cardinal anastomosis

Adapted from Hopper, A.F. and N.H. Hart, 1985. Foundations of animal development. Oxford University press. New York, p. 434
 These figures present a ventral view

Green - anterior cardinal veins Yellow - vitelline veins Orange - supracardinal veins
Purple - common cardinal veins Blue, blue - posterior cardinal veins
Olive - sinus venosus Red, red - subcardinal veins

(Mesenteric segment)

Internal iliac

Adapted from Hopper, A.F. and N.H. Hart, 1985. Foundations of animal development. Oxford University press. New York, p. 434
 These figures present a ventral view

Green - anterior cardinal veins Yellow - vitelline veins Orange - supracardinal veins
Purple - common cardinal veins Blue, blue - posterior cardinal veins
Olive - sinus venosus Red, red - subcardinal veins

Adapted from Hopper, A.F. and N.H. Hart, 1985. Foundations of animal development. Oxford University press. New York, p. 434
portion between the right subclavian
and the left brachiocephalic vein
forms the right brachiocephalic
(innominate) vein.
Right Left Right Left

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/gray/subjects/subject?id=135
 (brachiocephalic)
anterior cardinal
veins

Common cardinal vein

Right Left Right Left

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/gray/subjects/subject?id=135
 (brachiocephalic)
anterior cardinal
veins

Common cardinal vein

Right Left Right Left

 Right Left

Right
brachiocephalic
 Right Left Right Left Right Left

Right vitelline
vein

These figures present a ventral view

Green - anterior cardinal vein

Purple - common cardinal veins Future Inferior
vena cava
Blue - posterior cardinal veins
Brown - sinus venosus
Orange - umbilical veins
Red - right vitelline vein
Yellow - left vitelline vein
Right Left
Red/yellow speckles - anastomoses between
right and left vitelline veins Adapted from Hopper, A.F. and N.H. Hart, 1985. Foundations of animal
development. Oxford University press. New York, p. 431
Ductus venosus:
Present at birth, but looses functionality within minutes.
Structurally closed 3-7 days after birth
Leaves a fibrous remnant in the liver called the ligamentum
venosum
Pulmonary venous system
The 4 pulmonary veins are not derived from pre-existing
embryonic veins.
They form de novo as the lungs develop and drain the capillary
beds of the lung tissue into the left atrium.
Initially the 4 pulmonary veins connect to a single trunk that
connects to the left atrium; however, as the embryo develops,
this trunk is incorporated into the wall of the left atrium.
By 8-9 weeks, this results in the 4 pulmonary veins that
originally connected to the common trunk, emptying separately
into the left atrium.
Umbilical Arteries
Develop as branches off the posterior dorsal aorta that extend
along the allantoic stalk out to the placenta.

Umbilical Veins
As the placental circulation develops, two umbilical veins
initially return blood from the placenta to the sinus venosus.
As development continues, the right umbilical vein degenerates
within the embryo and the placental blood ends up being returned
to the heart by the left umbilical vein via the ductus venosus.

This blood flow ceases at birth when the umbilical cord is cut.
Subsequently, the lumen within the left umbilical vein is
obliterated by cell growth from the walls and the remnant of this
vessel becomes the ligamentum teres hepatis = round ligament of
the liver.