الفهرس 
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Abstract
This work is carried out to study the relationship between the developing human mandible and its surrounding structures throughout the fetal period. 30 human fetuses free from gross developtmental anomalies were used. Their ages were dated according to Sadler’s table and ranged from 8.5-37 weeks. The heads of the fetuses were divided by sections. In older fetuses, 16 weeks onward, each half was dissected to demonstrate its late structures. However, in younger fetuses, the halves of the earls were prepared for paraffin sections and stained with haematoxyllin and eosin and Glees’ silver stains for histological The bony mandible was shown to achieve a close relationship muscles and salivary glands at an early stage of development. The lateral pterygoid muscle was demonstrated as early as the week as ill-defamed fibers converging toward the developing mandibular condoyle. At the 7th week, the muscle was distinctly ided into upper and lower parts. The subdivision of the Ie was coincident with the appearance of the articular disc of mandibular joint. During the successive fetal stages, the le becomes well differentiated into a lower head adherent to of the front of the mandibular condoyle and an upper head with the articular disc.