Connecting cords and morphogenetic movements in the quail blastoderm

Connecting cords are elongated telophase bridges persisting between separating daughter cells. We have studied them with Scanning Electron Microscopy in the upper cell layer of the quail blastoderm where a high mitotic activity accompanied by interkinetic nuclear migration coincides with morphogenetic movements. The predominant orientation of the connecting cords is parallel to the direction of the morphogenetic movements.