Fate of the germ layers

In cnidarians and ctenophores, all the cell types develop from either ectoderm or endoderm. Similarly all the tissues and organs in the rest of the animals develop from the three germ layers. Perhaps you would like to know how the three germ layers contribute to the different body structures as you grew from embryo to infant. Table will illustrate this.

Table: Derivatives of the three germ layers

By going through this table you must have realized the significance of the germ layers. We now proceed to another important characteristic of animals - the cavities and coelom.