Practice question

Mammalian bipotential gonads arise from intermediate mesoderm forming urogenital ridge flanking dorsal mesentery and coelomic epithelium. Coelomic cells proliferate and ingress into underlying mesenchyme expressing Wt1, Sf1 and Lhx9 contributing supporting precursors, while primordial germ cells migrate from yolk sac endoderm into gonadal anlage. Hence gonad classified as mesodermal organ sharing lineage with kidneys and adrenal cortex, not ectodermal or neural crest derived. Mesodermal origin provides stromal, steroidogenic and supporting lineages later differentiating into granulosa or Sertoli cells under sex-determining signals and hormones.