List of human cell types derived from the germ layers

This is a list of cells in humans derived from the three embryonic germ layers – ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.

Cells derived from ectoderm

Surface ectoderm

Skin

• Trichocyte
• Keratinocyte

Anterior pituitary

• Gonadotrope
• Corticotrope
• Thyrotrope
• Somatotrope
• Lactotroph

Tooth enamel

• Ameloblast

Neural crest

Peripheral nervous system

• Neuron
• Glia
  • Schwann cell
  • Satellite glial cell

Neuroendocrine system

• Chromaffin cell
• Glomus cell

Skin

• Melanocyte
  • Nevus cell
• Merkel cell

Teeth

• Odontoblast
• Cementoblast

Eyes

• Corneal keratocyte

Neural tube

Central nervous system

• Neuron
• Glia
  • Astrocyte
  • Ependymocytes
  • Müller glia (retina)
  • Oligodendrocyte
  • Oligodendrocyte progenitor cell
  • Pituicyte (posterior pituitary)

Pineal gland

• Pinealocyte

Cells derived from mesoderm

Paraxial mesoderm

Mesenchymal stem cell

Osteochondroprogenitor cell

• Bone (Osteoblast → Osteocyte)
• Cartilage (Chondroblast → Chondrocyte)

Myofibroblast

• Fat
  • Lipoblast → Adipocyte
• Muscle
  • Myoblast → Myocyte
  • Myosatellite cell
  • Tendon cell
  • Cardiac muscle cell
• Other
  • Fibroblast → Fibrocyte

Other

• Digestive system
  • Interstitial cell of Cajal

Intermediate mesoderm

Renal stem cell

• Angioblast → Endothelial cell
• Mesangial cell
  • Intraglomerular
  • Extraglomerular
• Juxtaglomerular cell
• Macula densa cell
• Stromal cell → Interstitial cell → Telocytes
• Simple epithelial cell → Podocyte
• Kidney proximal tubule brush border cell

Reproductive system

• Sertoli cell
• Leydig cell
• Granulosa cell
• Peg cell
• Germ cells (which migrate here primordially)
  • spermatozoon
  • ovum

Lateral plate mesoderm

Hematopoietic stem cell

• Lymphoid
  • Lymphoblast
  • see lymphocytes
• Myeloid
  • CFU-GEMM
  • see myeloid cells

Circulatory system

• Endothelial progenitor cell
• Endothelial colony forming cell
• Endothelial stem cell
• Angioblast/Mesoangioblast
• Pericyte
• Mural cell

Body cavities

• Mesothelial cell

Cells derived from endoderm

Foregut

Respiratory system

• Pneumocyte
  • Type I cell
  • Type II cell
• Club cell
• Goblet cell
• Pulmonary neuroendocrine cell

Digestive system

Stomach

• Enteroendocrine cell
  • G cell
  • Delta cell
  • Enterochromaffin-like cell
• Gastric chief cell
• Parietal cell
• Foveolar cell

Intestine

• Enteroendocrine cell
  • Gastric inhibitory polypeptide
  • S cell
  • Delta cell
  • Cholecystokinin
  • Enterochromaffin cell
• Goblet cell
• Paneth cell
• Tuft cell
• Enterocyte
  • Microfold cell

Liver

• Hepatocyte
• Hepatic stellate cell

Gallbladder

• Cholecystocyte

Exocrine component of pancreas

• Centroacinar cell
• Pancreatic stellate cell

Islets of Langerhans

• alpha cell
• beta cell
• delta cell
• PP cell (F cell, gamma cell)
• epsilon cell

Pharyngeal pouch

• Thyroid gland
  • Follicular cell
  • Parafollicular cell
• Parathyroid gland
  • Parathyroid chief cell
  • Oxyphil cell

Hindgut/cloaca

• Urothelial cell

See also

• Germ layer
• List of distinct cell types in the adult human body

References