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

Smooth muscle

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

Mesoderm embryonic tissues (paraxial mesoderm, intermediate mesoderm, lateral plate mesoderm and notochord). Also showing the neural tube and the yolk sac.

Paraxial mesoderm

See main article on Paraxial mesoderm.

Mesenchymal stem cell

See 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
  • Spleen^[1]

Intermediate mesoderm

See main article on Intermediate mesoderm.

Kidney

• Parietal epithelial cell (PEC)
• Podocyte
• Angioblast → Endothelial cell
• Mesangial cell
  • Intraglomerular
  • Extraglomerular
• Juxtaglomerular cell
• Macula densa cell
• Stromal cell → Interstitial cell → Telocytes
• Kidney proximal tubule brush border cell
• Kidney distal tubule cell
• Connecting tubule cells
• α-intercalated cell
• β-intercalated cell
• Principal cells

Reproductive system

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

Lateral plate mesoderm

See main article on 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

Axial mesoderm

See main article on Axial mesoderm.

Notochord

• Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells

Cells derived from endoderm

Foregut

Respiratory system

• Pneumocyte
  • Type I cell
  • Type II cell
• Club cell
• Goblet cell
• Pulmonary neuroendocrine cell^[2]

Digestive system

Stomach

• Gastric enteroendocrine cells
  • G cell
  • Delta cell
  • Enterochromaffin-like cell
• Gastric chief cell
• Parietal cell
• Foveolar cell

Intestine

• Intestinal enteroendocrine cells
  • S cell
  • Delta cell
  • Cholecystokinin
  • Enterochromaffin cell
• Goblet cell
• Brunner's gland cell
• Paneth cell
• Tuft cell
• Enterocyte
  • Microfold cell

Liver and gallbladder

• Hepatocyte
• Hepatic stellate cell
• Cholangiocyte
• Cholecystocyte

Pancreas

• Exocrine component of pancreas
  • Pancreatic ductal cells
  • Pancreatic acinar cell
  • Centroacinar cell
  • Pancreatic stellate cell
• Islets of Langerhans
  • Alpha cell
  • Beta cell
  • PP cell (F cell, gamma cell)
  • Delta cell
  • Epsilon cell

Pharyngeal pouch

• Thyroid gland
  • Follicular cell
  • Parafollicular cell^[3]
• Parathyroid gland
  • Parathyroid chief cell
  • Oxyphil cell
• Thymus gland
  • Thymic epithelial cell

Hindgut/cloaca

• Urothelial cell (renal pelvis, ureters, bladder and urethra)
• Prostate epithelial cell

See also

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