Neural Creast
The neural crest is a transient embryologic structure
The neural crest forms:
At the border between the neural plate and the surface ectoderm
Specifically along the dorsal (top) edge of the neural tube
During neurulation (around weeks 3–4 of human development)
When the neural tube closes (which later becomes the brain and spinal cord), neural crest cells arise from the dorsal margins and then migrate throughout the body.
After migration, neural crest cells differentiate into many structures, including:
Peripheral nervous system
Dorsal root ganglia
Sympathetic chain
Parasympathetic ganglia
Adrenal medulla
Melanocytes
Schwann cells
Craniofacial bones and cartilage
Conotruncal septum of the heart
Parts of the thyroid (C cells)
Because neural crest cells migrate widely, disorders of migration (neurocristopathies) can affect multiple systems, such as:
Hirschsprung disease
DiGeorge syndrome
Neurofibromatosis type 1
Pheochromocytoma
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