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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Visualizing the Node and Notochordal Plate In Gastrulating Mouse Embryos Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Whole Mount Immunofluorescence
Published on: November 6, 2018
Structure and function of the notochord: an essential organ for chordate development
1Vertebrate Development and Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK. ds4@sanger.ac.uk
Abstract:
The notochord is the defining structure of the chordates, and has essential roles in vertebrate development. It serves as a source of midline signals that pattern surrounding tissues and as a major skeletal element of the developing embryo. Genetic and embryological studies over the past decade have informed us about the development and function of the notochord. In this review, I discuss the embryonic origin, signalling roles and ultimate fate of the notochord, with an emphasis on structural aspects of notochord biology.
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