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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →No. Human embryos do not grow gills or breathe underwater. They develop pharyngeal arches and related structures that may look reminiscent of the developmental framework for fish gills, but in humans these structures help form parts of the face, neck, throat and upper chest.
Why do people say embryos have gills?
The claim comes partly from an older anatomical term: “branchial,” meaning related to gills. Human-development sources often use the more precise term “pharyngeal arches.” These paired structures, along with nearby clefts and pouches, are part of the developing head and neck. Their names and appearance can invite a misleading comparison, but they are not gills. StatPearls’ overview of branchial arch embryology describes their development and human derivatives.
Pharyngeal arches become evident at about three to four weeks of human development. That is an approximate developmental timing, not a claim that every embryo develops on an identical schedule. A review of the developmental and evolutionary origins of the pharyngeal apparatus discusses this early anatomy.
What do the pharyngeal arches become in humans?
Rather than forming breathing organs, the arches and associated pharyngeal apparatus contribute to structures in the lower face, neck, pharynx and upper thorax. The resulting anatomy comes from multiple embryonic tissue lineages, so it is more accurate to describe the arches as part of a developmental system than as a single structure that simply turns into one adult body part. StatPearls reviews the arch derivatives.
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How are human arches different from fish gills?
Vertebrates share related developmental architecture in the pharyngeal region, but its outcomes differ. In fish, pharyngeal arches support gills. In humans, the arches and surrounding apparatus contribute to other anatomy; they do not become gills or serve as temporary fish-style breathing organs. A peer-reviewed article on arch development states: “Although development of pharyngeal arches, clefts, and pouches resembles formation of gills in fish and amphibia, in the human embryo, real gills (branchia) are never formed.” The article explains the embryology and characteristic defects of the first and second branchial arches. For the broader vertebrate comparison, see the review Development and Evolution of the Pharyngeal Apparatus.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does this mean a human embryo passes through a fish stage?
No. Similarity in an early developmental pattern does not mean a human embryo becomes a miniature fish or passes through an adult fish stage. The comparison is about related structures and their developmental origins across vertebrates—not a sequence in which one kind of animal temporarily turns into another.
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