Neural plate

The neural plate is an important developmental structure that forms the foundation of the nervous system . Formation of the neural plate occurs during the embryological process of neurulation which helps initiate the development of the nervous system .

The neural plate develops at approximately day 19 after fertilization . The neural plate is a thickened portion of ectoderm along the midline of the embryo . During neurulation, the folds of the neural plate fuse to form the neural tube .

Ultimately, the neural plate is an embryonic structure that forms the primitive brain at the cranial end and the spinal cord at the caudal end .

Related pathology

Failure of neural tube closure in early pregnancy can result in neural tube defects, one of the commonest and most severe malformations of the fetus and newborn .