neural crest

noun Embryology.

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.

Origin of neural crest

First recorded in 1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

neural crest in Medicine

A band of neuroectodermal cells that lie dorsolateral to the developing spinal cord, where they separate into clusters of cells that develop into dorsal-root ganglion cells, autonomic ganglion cells, chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, neurolemma cells, or integumentary pigment cells.