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3D Reconstructions of Early Heart Development as an Educational Resource
Author(s) -
Piet Valerie Marie,
Cork Robert John
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.959.1
Subject(s) - heart development , primordium , embryo , anatomy , embryogenesis , mesoderm , stage (stratigraphy) , vasculogenesis , biology , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell , paleontology , progenitor cell , biochemistry , gene
Three‐dimensional reconstructions are a particularly useful tool for the visualization and understanding of complex subjects like embryo development. Early heart development is one such area. Our work has produced 3D reconstructions of human embryos from Carnegie stages 8, 9 and 10. Working with transverse serial‐sections provided by the Virtual Human Embryo databases we have used the computer programs Amira and Winsurf to produce our 3D reconstructions. Animations generated from these reconstructions are available in pdf form, or online, and can be incorporated into teaching material. The Carnegie staging system divides the embryonic period into 23 stages based on the appearance of notable characteristics. Stages 8, 9, and 10 correspond roughly to 17–23 days of development. During this time period several heart development milestones occur. Beginning at stage 8, angioblastic clusters exist in horseshoe shaped cardiac mesoderm at the cranial end of the embryo. During stage 9, a pericardial cavity is present and by stage 10, an endocardial plexus is coalescing within the myocardium. Our reconstructions include the cardiogenic mesoderm, blood vessel primordia, endothelial tubes, myocardium, epicardium, and doral aorta. The focus on early heart development allows us to visualize the important steps of forming the endothelial tubes and the relative position of the heart primordium in the embryo. Grant Funding Source : NIH HD37811