ABSTRACT
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT Endoderm gives rise to the epithelia and secretory ele ments lining the GI tract, to the specialized glands of the stomach and duodenum, the exocrine and endocrine pancreas, and the liver and biliary tract. Splanchnopleuric mesoderm coating the tract supplies the smooth muscle and connective tissue of the gut wall as far as Hilton s white line in the mid-anal canal. At 4 weeks the alimentary tract is divided into three parts (Figure 1).
