Fig. 385. Two sections of a Pristiurus embryo with three visceral clefts.
The sections illustrate the development of the segmental duct (pd) or primitive duct of the pronephros. In A (the anterior of the two sections) this appears as a solid knob (pd) projecting towards the epiblast. In B is seen a section of the column which has grown backwards from the knob in A.
spn. rudiment of a spinal nerve; mc. medullary canal; ch. notochord; X. subnotochordal rod; mp. muscle-plate; mp´. specially developed portion of muscle-plate; ao. dorsal aorta; pd. segmental duct; so. somatopleure; sp. splanchnopleure; pp. body cavity; ep. epiblast; al. alimentary canal.
While the lumen is gradually being formed, the segmental tubes of the mesonephros become established. They appear to arise as differentiations of the parts of the primitive lateral plates of mesoblast, placed between the dorsal end of the body cavity and the muscle-plate ([fig. 386], st)[252], which are usually known as the intermediate cell-masses.
The lumen of the segmental tubes, though at first very small, soon becomes of a considerable size. It appears to be established in the position of the section of the body cavity in the intermediate cell-mass, which at first unites the part of the body cavity in the muscle-plates with the permanent body cavity. The lumen of each tube opens at its lower end into the dorsal part of the body cavity ([fig. 386], st), and each tube curls obliquely backwards round the inner and dorsal side of the segmental duct, near which it at first ends blindly.
Fig. 386. Section through the trunk of a Scyllium embryo slightly younger than 28 F.
sp.c. spinal canal; W. white matter of spinal cord; pr. posterior nerve-roots; ch. notochord; x. subnotochordal rod; ao. aorta; mp. muscle-plate; mp´. inner layer of muscle-plate already converted into muscles; Vr. rudiment of vertebral body; st. segmental tube; sd. segmental duct; sp.v. spiral valve; v. subintestinal vein; p.o. primitive generative cells.
One segmental tube makes its appearance for each somite ([fig. 265]), commencing with that immediately behind the abdominal opening of the segmental duct, the last tube being situated a few segments behind the anus. Soon after their formation the blind ends of the segmental tubes come in contact with, and open into the segmental duct, and each of them becomes divided into four parts. These are (1) a section carrying the peritoneal opening, known as the peritoneal funnel, (2) a dilated vesicle into which this opens, (3) a coiled tubulus proceeding from (2), and terminating in (4) a wider portion opening into the segmental duct. At the same time, or shortly before this, each segmental duct unites with and opens into one of the horns of the cloaca, and also retires from its primitive position between the epiblast and mesoblast, and assumes a position close to the epithelium lining the body cavity ([fig. 380], sd). The general features of the excretory organs at this period are diagrammatically represented in the woodcut ([fig. 387]). In this fig. pd is the segmental duct and o its abdominal opening; s.t points to the segmental tubes, the finer details of whose structure are not represented in the diagram. The mesonephros thus forms at this period an elongated gland composed of a series of isolated coiled tubes, one extremity of each of which opens into the body cavity, and the other into the segmental duct, which forms the only duct of the system, and communicates at its front end with the body cavity, and behind with the cloaca.
