Chorda Tissue-Embryonic Spinal Column

The chorda dorsalis (notochord ) consists of large star-shaped chorda cells ,  which form cell-to-cell contacts with each other. Chorda cells have a high water content, contain microfilaments and synthesize type II collagen. From the chorda dorsalis derives the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disks.  The figure shows a detail section from the still mesenchymal spine of an embryo with a crown-rump length of 12 mm. The sagittal section is turned by 90°, ventral is up.

1 Chorda dorsalis in slightly ventral position

2 Dense early inter vertebral disks

3 Precartilagest age of vertebral bodies with few cells

4 Inter segment alvessels

5 Embryonic mesenchyme

Stain: hematoxylin-eosin; magnification: × 80

References

Kuehnel, W.(2003). Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4^th edition . Institute of Anatomy Universitätzu Luebeck Luebeck, Germany . Thieme Stuttgart · New York .