Development - The decade of the developing brain

Our understanding of neural development has advanced dramatically over the past decade. Significant insights have now been obtained into seven fundame ntal developmental processes: first, induction of the neural plate; second, regionalization of the neural tube along the dorsoventral and anteroposter ior axes; third, generation of neurons and glia from multipotential precurs ors; fourth, apoptotic cell death; fifth, migration of neurons; sixth, guid ance of axons to their targets; and seventh, formation of synapses.