Development of the Head and Neck

Development of the head and neck region involves the formation of six pairs of pharyngeal (branchial) arches, beginning in the 4th week of development.

The pharyngeal arches form major musculoskeletal components of the face and neck including the upper and lower jaws and the palate.

In addition to the pharyngeal arches, a large frontonasal prominence is responsible for development of the upper part of the face and the cranial part of skull.

The mesenchyme fo the pharyngeal arches is derived from paraxial mesoderm (somites), lateral plate mesoderm and neural crest.

The skeletal elements of the
head and neck region are formed from somite mesoderm and neural crest Muscles of the head region are from pharyngeal arch mesoderm and occipital myotomes.

Outgrowths of the diencephalon lead to the formation of the optic cups that ultimately form the retina and guide the formation of other parts of the eye from the surrounding tissues.

In the hind brain region, the otocysts, form the structures of the inner ear, while the ear ossicles develop from the cartilages of the first and second branchial arches.