Osmosis video - Pharyngeal arches, pouches, and clefts

Pharyngeal arches, pouches, and clefts are structures that develop in the embryonic stage of human development and are involved in the formation of various head and neck structures, including the face and ears. The pharyngeal arches are derived from mesoderm and give rise to many of the bones and muscles in the head and neck. The pharyngeal clefts derive from the ectoderm, forming structures in the ear canals. The pharyngeal pouches arise from endoderm cells, and these form parts of the ears, as well as the early tonsils, and many portions of the parathyroid glands and thyroid.