Neck uterus. Thus the adjective "cervical" may refer either to the neck (as in "cervical vertebrae" or "cervical lymph nodes") or to the uterine cervix (as in "cervical cap" or "cervical cancer"). The neck contains vessels that link structures in the head to the body. In humans these structures include part of the esophagus, larynx, trachea, thyroid and parathyroid glands, lymph nodes, and the first part of the spinal cord. Major blood vessels present include the carotid arteries and the jugular veins. Cervical lymph nodes surround the blood vessels. The thyroid gland and parathyroid gland are endocrine glands involved in the
Face and neck development of the human embryo Face and neck development of the human embryo The face and neck development of the human embryo refers to the development of the structures from the third to eighth week that give rise to the future head and neck. They consist of three layers, the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, which from the mesenchyme (derived form the lateral plate mesoderm and paraxial mesoderm), neural crest and neural placodes (from the ectoderm). The paraxial mesoderm forms structures named somites and somitomeres that contribute to the development of the floor of the brain and voluntary muscles of the craniofacial region. The lateral plate