Somites, also known as metameres, are paired populations of cells that arise on either side of the neural tube in the developing embryo and set out a plan for the compartmentalised development of the body 1-3.
Immature somites are multipotent and can differentiate into many tissues, including dermis, skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons, and vertebrae 1. They also determine the path of neural crest cells and the axons of spinal nerves 1. The first pair arise adjacent to the notochord, and subsequent pairs arise in a craniocaudal direction during embryogenesis.
Somite formation (somitogenesis) is the precursor to various tissue differentiation, such as myogenesis (muscle) and osteogenesis (bone). The final tissues arising from somites include spine and rib cartilage, muscles of the rib cage, limbs, abdominal wall, back, and tongue, tendons, dermis of the dorsal skin, and vascular cells that contribute to the aorta and intervertebral blood vessels 1.
Clinical significance
Disruption in somite formation or segmentation can result in congenital anomalies affecting multiple final tissues, such as the spine and kidney, as multiple potential final tissues are planned to arise from each somite 1,2.
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