Origin and early migration of primordial germ cells in the chick embryo: A study of the stages definitive primitive streak through eight somites

The germinal crescent in the chick embryo is characterized by small, PAS‐positive, nonglycogen granules from 1.5 to 5 μ in diameter. The primordial germ cells (PGCs) were found to originate in and separate from the germinal crescent endoderm through stage 7 (2 somites). Shortly after separation most of the granules in the PGCs lost their organization and the PAS‐positive material was distributed irregularly throughout the cytoplasm. A few of these granules remained within the cells indefinitely. Glycogen of an agranular nature which had shifted to one pole of the cell was observed at stage four. Granular glycogen which was distributed throughout the cytoplasm was not observed prior to stage 7 or 8. Cell counts on individual embryos showed noticeable variations as to the number of germ cells between embryos of the same stage. For example, in stage 4 embryos the minimum number of cells counted, including attached and free, was 78 and the maimum 169, while in stage 9 the minimum was 83 and the maximum 469 cells. After separation the germ cells were observed almost anywhere between the ectoderm and the endoderm although the majority remained in the area where they originated.