A hypothesis about the organogenesis of the digestive tract]

Our experimental analysis in organogenesis of digestive tract in embryonic chick leads to a following hypothesis. In early embryonic stages, undifferentiated endodermal epithelium is roughly determined and has an autodifferentiation potency. Cytodifferentiation but not morphogenesis like gland formation can take place in vitro in some extent in the absence of the splanchnic mesoderm. The mesoderm of the embryonic digestive tract, however, exerts its regionally specific action on the cytodifferentiation as well as morphogenesis of an indifferent epithelium.