Lecture #2 Flashcards
what will the cells of the ectoderm form?
skin and the CNS
what is the specific subpopulation of cells arising from the anterior region of the developing notochord?
Hensen’s node
how could you form an ectopic CNS?
transplant the notochord → extremely potent signaling region able to induce the formation of a new and complete CSN
At what time does neurogenesis stop, and the complex process of neuroinduction begin?
17 days
what is the most famous signal released by the notochord?
Sonic hedgehog (Shh)
what does the neural crest become?
central nervous system tube and the epidermis → soon after the closure of the neural tube they start to detach from the nt and ectoderm and start to migrate and spread inside of the developing embryo
what do detached neural crest cells form?
contribute to the generation of many tissues and organs
what does it mean if cells are pseudo-stratified?
they re attached to the apical and basal membranes, and their nuclei are organized in different levels
their nuclei have particular molarity and they can move up and downside the cytoplasm doing the cell-cycle progression
how does the bending of the tube occur to form the notochord?
a certain type of nuclei start to accumulate in a specific position close to the basal membrane and at the same time there is also a force coming from the ectoderm the is pushing the two crests leading to their fusion to create a v-shaped structure and finally a tube
once the tube has formed, what still needs to happen?
the anterior neuropore and the posterity neuropore are still open meaning they still have contact with the fluid in the amniotic cavity
what type of mechanism occurs to close the neural tube?
the “zip” mechanism
give two reasons why the formation of the notochord is so important:
- it is positioned centrally in the embryo with respect to both the dorsal ventral (DV) and left-right (LR) axis → produces secreted factors signaling to the surrounding tissues providing position and fate information
- becomes the ossified region forming the vertebrae and contributes to the center of the intervertebral disks
what are neuroectodermal cells?
elongated cells that derive from the ectoderm but are converted towards a neural fate by the notochord
differentiate into neurons and microglia (astrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors)
what are neuroectodermal cells?
elongated cells that derive from the ectoderm but are converted towards a neural fate by the notochord
differentiate into neurons and microglia (astrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors)
what are neuroectodermal cells?
elongated cells that derive from the ectoderm but are converted towards a neural fate by the notochord
differentiate into neurons and microglia (astrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors)
what are the cells called that are located in between the neuroepithelial cells and the ectoderm cells, that detach and start to infiltrate the embryo?
neural crest cells (NC)
describe neural crest cells:
star-shaped cells that migrate inside of the embryo; some of them undergo the ectoderm to mesoderm conversion
what types of cells can neural crest cells generate?
- melanocytes
- dorsal root ganglia neurons
- autonomic ganglia neurons
- adrenal medulla
- submucosal nerve plexus of the gut
all bones composing the chest, vertebrae, etc have a mesodermal origin - what is the exception?
the skull → derive from neural crest cells and therefore from the ectoderm
what cells do the meninges derive from?
neural crest cells and some cells belonging to to the mesenchymal subpopulation
what cells do the meninges derive from?
neural crest cells and some cells belonging to to the mesenchymal subpopulation
what are the three layers of the meninges?
dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater
why is the arachnoid complex?
there is a trabecula between the arachnoid and the Pia mater the is filled with cerebrospinal fluid
what is the combination of the pia mater and the arachnoid?
leptomeninges
what is the function of the meninges?
they have a huge number of immune cells that are patrolling the CNS to interact with viruses, bacteria, etc
what is the most famous neural tube defect?
spina bifida
what is spina bifida occulta?
when there is something wrong with the two neural arches of the vertebrae to where they can’t close, leading to the presence of an empty space between the skin and the two arches
what physical feature is present in some spina bifida babies that allows for diagnosis?
the presence of a tuft of hair on the skin in the lumbar-sacral position right above the region of the spina bifida occulta