neural tube

American  

noun

Embryology.

1. a tube formed by the closure of ectodermal tissue in the early vertebrate embryo that later develops into the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and ganglia.

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neural tube British  

noun

1. the structure in mammalian embryos that develops into the brain and spinal cord. Incomplete development results in neural-tube defects , such as spina bifida, in a newborn baby

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neural tube Scientific  

1. A tubular structure that results from the folding of tissue along the back of vertebrate embryos and develops into the brain and spinal cord. Improper folding of the neural tube is the cause of spina bifida and other birth defects.

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Etymology

Origin of neural tube

First recorded in 1885–90