This page contains movies and animations to illustrate various aspects of neural development.
There are 2 ways to watch each movie. Either click the image or text link to open a new page with both the movie and a more detailed text description of features that can be seen.
Or the link below the images and text labelled Quicktime with the movie name and (file size) will open only the movie in a new window.
This first series of movies show human embryonic growth and some other whole embryos.
Notochord (179Kb)
Notochord (111Kb)
Neural Plate (468Kb)
Neurulation (468Kb)
Secondary Neurulation (561Kb)
Movie of neural tube cell migration.
A scattered labeled sheet of cells migrate to the right toward the midline (a line from top to bottom to the right of the labeled patch) beneath the recently fused epidermis. Over the course of the timelapse sequence the labeled cells converge on the midline. During this convergence the sheet also extends along the axis. The contiguously labelled sheet extends and is broken apart as unlabeled cells intercalate between labeled cells. Such sequences are characteristic of "convergent extension" movements.
Neural movie kindly provided by Lance Davidson.
Quicktime: d2.mov (2.4 Mb)
Labelled neural crest cell migration at level of Rhombomere 4 into a pharyngeal arch.
Quicktime: ba2qt2.mov (391 Kb)
Labelled neural crest cell migration at level of Rhombomere 4 into a pharyngeal arch.
Additional neural crest migration movies.
In ovo time-lapse analysis of chick hindbrain neural crest cell migration
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z