Building blocks of the cerebral cortex: from development to the dish.
Since Ramon y Cajal's examination of the cellular makeup of the cerebral cortex, it has been appreciated that this tissue exhibits some of the greatest degrees of cellular heterogeneity in the entire nervous system. This intricate structure emerges during a well-choreographed developmental process. Here, we review current classifications of the cellular constituents of the cerebral cortex and examine how these building blocks are forged during development. We also look at how basic developmental features underlying cortex formation in vivo have been applied to protocols aimed at generating cortical tissue in vitro.
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
James
J
Harris
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Giulio Srubek
GS
Tomassy
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Paola
P
Arlotta
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism