Final answer:
Growth factors and the Wnt signaling pathway are essential for the differentiation of ectodermal cells into mesoderm cells and their further transformation into mesenchymal cells, leading to the development of various embryonic structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Growth factors are thought to promote the release of future mesoderm cells from an epithelium and their transformation into mesenchymal cells.
Growth factors signal some ectodermal cells to become epidermal cells, while others are induced to form the neural plate. Cells differentiate at the primitive streak and migrate to form the mesodermal layer, giving rise to various structures including the skeleton, muscles, connective tissue, heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Proteins involved in the Wnt signaling pathway also play a crucial role in this process, alternatively signaling for epidermal cells or the neural plate formation.