Continuous with the dorsal end of the
first pharyngeal arch
The pharyngeal arches, also known as visceral arches'','' are transient structures seen in the embryonic development of humans and other vertebrates, that are recognisable precursors for many structures. In fish, the arches support the gills a ...
, and growing forward from its cephalic border, is a triangular process, the maxillary prominence (or maxillary process), the
ventral
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
extremity of which is separated from the
mandibular arch by a ">"-shaped notch.
The maxillary prominence forms the lateral wall and floor of the
orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...
, and in it are ossified the
zygomatic bone and the greater part of the
maxilla
In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...
; it meets with the
medial nasal prominence, from which, however, it is separated for a time by a groove, the
naso-optic furrow, that extends from the furrow encircling the eyeball to the
nasal pit.
The maxillary prominences ultimately fuse with the medial nasal prominence and the globular processes, and form the lateral parts of the
upper lip and the posterior boundaries of the
nares.
It is innervated by the
maxillary nerve
In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of Sense, sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, Sinus (anatomy ...
.
Additional images
File:Gray23.png, Human embryo from thirty-one to thirty-four days
File:Gray44.png, Under surface of the head of a human embryo about twenty-nine days old.
File:Gray947.png, The head and neck of a human embryo thirty-two days old, seen from the ventral surface.
References
External links
{{Authority control
Embryology
Human head and neck