neural crest

American  

noun

Embryology.

1. a group of ectodermal cells that develop into a variety of tissues, including spinal and autonomic ganglia, connective tissue around the brain and spinal cord, and parts of the facial bones.

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Etymology

Origin of neural crest

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Such highly complex shapes originate from their respective transient neural crest cells.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2024

Biologists proposed that a pool of cells called the neural crest, which pops up in animal embryos and turns into tissues like skin and ear cartilage, might explain why different species grow similar traits.

From Washington Post • Apr. 27, 2017

During development, a structure called the neural crest forms near what will later become the spine of the animal.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2016

Tissues at the edges of the neural groove, when it closes off, are called the neural crest and migrate through the embryo to give rise to PNS structures as well as some non-nervous tissues.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

People with Waardenburg syndrome have symptoms scattered across the parts of the body produced by neural crest cells.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2010