Neurula 1832418 220724980 2008-06-21T07:36:46Z Tabletop 173687 fix A '''Neurula''' is an [[embryo]] at the early stage of development in which [[neurulation]] occurs. '''Neurulation''' is the development of the nervous system in the [[vertebrates]], at the thickened area above the [[notochord]] in [[ectoderms]]. The neural plate will fold to produce the [[neural tube]] which will develop into the [[brain]]. Remaining tissue will develop into the [[spinal cord]]. Neurula involves the formation of an internal neural tube from an external sheet of cells. The first signs of neurulation are flattening and tickening of the ectoderm overlying the notochord; this thickened area forms a neurual plate. The edges of the neural plate that run an anterior-posterior direction continue to tickening to form ridges or folds. Between these neural folds, a groove forms and deepens as the fold roll over it to converge on the midline. The fold fuses, forming a cylinder, the neural tube, and a continuous overlying layer of epidermal ectoderm. The neural tube develops bulges at the anterior end, witch become (as said above) the major divisions of the brain; the rest of the tube becomes the spinal cord. == Health == In humans, failure of the neural tube to develop normally can result in serious birth defects. If the neural folds fail to fuse in a posterior region, the result is a condition known as ''spina bifida''. If they fail to fuse at the anterior end of an infant can develop without a forebrain- a condition called ''anencephaly''. There are genetic as well as dietary factors that cause neral tube defects. The incidence of neural tube defects used to be about 1 in 300 live births, but we now know that this incidence can be cut in half if pregnant women have an adequate of folic acid in their diets. {{Development of nervous system}} {{developmental-biology-stub}} [[Category:Embryology]] [[de:Neurula]] [[es:Néurula]] [[oc:Neurula]]