chapter 1: neural induction

neural induction

process by which initially pluripotent embryonic cells acquire neural identity

• revealed by an organizer transplantation experiments and by molecular studies showing that suppression of BMP signaling, together with regulation of WNT and FGF pathways, permits ectoderm to form nervous tissue.

inner cell mass (ICM)

cells within the blastocyst that generate the epiblast and primitive endoderm, the source of conventional hESC lines

epiblast

pluripotent embryonic tissue that forms ectoderm, mesoderm, and definitive endoderm during gastrulation.

primitive streak

midline structure through which epiblast cells ingress to form mesoderm and definitive endoderm.

primitive node / hensen’s node

organizer at the anterior end of the amniote primitive streak, also called the embryonic pit

anterior visceral endoderm (AVE)

extra-embryonic signaling center that helps position and protect anterior / head fates

dorsal lip of the blastopore

amphibian organizer region whose transplantation can induce a secondary body axis

cerebral organoid

three-dimentional stem-cell-derived culture that self-organizes into immature brain-like tissue.

induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)

somatic cell reprogrammed to a pluripotent state and then expandable for directed differentiation.