notochord , flexible rodlike structure of mesodermal cells that is the principal longitudinal structural element of chordates and of the early embryo of vertebrates, in both of which it plays an organizational role in nervous system development. In later vertebrate development, it becomes part of the vertebral column. The notochord derives during gastrulation (infolding of the blastula, or early embryo) from cells that migrate anteriorly in the midline between the hypoblast and the epiblast ... The notochord (axial mesoderm, notochordal process, chorda dorsalis, Wirbelsäule) is the defining structure forming in all chordate embryos (taxonomic rank: phylum Chordata). It is an early forming midline structure in the trilaminar embryo mesoderm layer initially ventral to the ectoderm, then neural plate and finally neural tube. This is a transient embryonic anatomy structure, not existing in the adult, required for patterning the surrounding tissues. The patterning signal secreted by ... The notochord is an embryonic midline structure common to all members of the phylum Chordata, providing both mechanical and signaling cues to the developing embryo. In vertebrates, the notochord ... The notochord is an embryonic midline structure common to all members of the phylum Chordata, providing both mechanical and signaling cues to the developing embryo. In vertebrates, the notochord arises from the dorsal organizer and it is critical for proper vertebrate development. This evolutionary conserved structure located at the developing midline defines the primitive axis of embryos and represents the structural element essential for locomotion. Besides its primary structural function ...
