Cellular Changes Occurring During Mesenchymo-Epithelial And Epithelio-Mesenchymal Transitions In The Chick Embryo

Abstract

Epithelium and mesenchyme are two distinctive cell types. Transitions occur between these during embryonic development of the mammal and chick. The chick embryo was used as a model system to study the cellular and molecular characteristics defining an epithelium and mesenchymal cell. A procedure was established to prepare serial sections of chick embryos for light microscopy observation. A study of this nature may indicate factors involved in bringing about such cellular transitions and contribute to our knowledge of what occurs in disease processes caused by the loss of a cell's typical morphology.