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Electron microscopic study of the development of human foetal muscle, motor end-plate and nerve

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Summary

Electron microscopic observations were made on muscle and peripheral nerve of human embryos of the period between the 9th and 16th week. These observations showed the presence of motor end-plates at the 10th week of human embryonic life, at a time when the muscle cells were still in the myotube stage. The difference between the structure of nerve fibres of the 9th and those of the 16th week of foetal life consisted in a change from the form of one multiaxon bundle to single axons separated from each other by an intracellular space filled with collagen fibres.

Zusammenfassung

An menschlichen Embryonen von 9–16 Wochen Alter wurden elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen von Muskeln und peripheren Nerven durchgeführt. Sie zeigten das Auftreten von motorischen Endplatten in der 10. Embryonalwoche, zu einem Zeitpunkt, wo der Muskel noch in myotubulären Stadium ist. Der Unterschied in der Struktur der Nervenfasern zwischen der 9. und der 16. Woche des Fetallebens besteht im Übergang aus der Form eines Multiaxonbündels zu Einzelaxonen, die voneinander durch einen intracellulären, von Kollagenfasern erfüllten Raum getrennt werden.

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These studies are part of a research project supported by NIH Bethesda Md (USA) under agreement No. 05-0021.

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Fidziańska, A. Electron microscopic study of the development of human foetal muscle, motor end-plate and nerve. Acta Neuropathol 17, 234–247 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685057

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685057

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