Brain Development

Abstract

The human brain is an intricate organ with over a hundred billion cells. Brain activity is precisely coordinated to generate electrical and hormonal signals that control basic body functions, movement, awareness, and behaviors. Intriguingly, the incredible complexity of the brain is formed from a simple cellular sheet called the neural plate. A progressive series of precisely controlled morphogenetic movements, in combination with cell proliferation, differentiation, and specification of regional character, generates functionally distinct brain structures. In this article, I summarize some of the crucial events happening at the cellular and molecular levels during neural development to help understand the complex processes implicated in vertebrate brain organization.