Xenbase Image ID: 146174

Figure 1. Primary vs. secondary neurogenesis. The neural tube of the primary body axis is formed from the rolling up of the lateral edges of ectodermal neural plate toward the midline [marked by the dorsal mesoderm, or notochord, (red circle) that runs directly underneath]. Cells of the neural plate first become columnar and polarized, before becoming wedge shaped, forcing the plate to bend. The neural folds eventually meet in the midline and cell adhesion changes cause budding off from the epidermal epithelium to form the neural tube. The tailbud derived neural tube is derived directly from condensing mesenchymal cells that undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial conversion. Although the source of the cells and the mechanism of tube formation are totally different, the trunk and tail neural tubes form a continuous structure. Diagram based on information in Catala et al. Image published in: Beck CW (2015) Copyright © 2015. Image reproduced with permission of the Publisher, John Wiley & Sons. Larger Image Printer Friendly View

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