Embryological Origins

Abstract

The number of cell types known to arise from the neural crest is astonishing, as is the number of tissues and organs to which neural crest contributes either directly, by providing cells, or indirectly, by providing the necessary (often inductive) environment in which other cells develop (Table 2.1). The enormous range of cell types arising from this single embryonic region is an important reason for regarding the neural crest as a fourth germ layer. When and how the neural crest arises during embryonic development is the topic of this chapter.