Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neurulation

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Multiple Longitudinal Tracts in the Cephalopod Arm Sensorimotor System.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2026

Same author

Assessing Local Anesthesia in Octopus bimaculoides to Provide Analgesia.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS·2026

Same author

Cell type-specific functions of the PBAF chromatin-remodeling complex in neuronal diversification.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Multiple longitudinal tracts in the cephalopod arm sensorimotor system.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Genome reorganisation and expansion shape 3D genome architecture and define a distinct regulatory landscape in coleoid cephalopods.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Molecular and Morphological Circuitry of the Octopus Sucker Ganglion.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2025

Same journal

Whole-Embryo 3D Quantification Reveals Conserved Topological Design and Scaling of Germ Layers in Xenopus.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

scRNA-seq and genomics analyses reveal key mechanisms of inverted papilloma-associated sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma malignant transformation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

M1C IS NECESSARY FOR DARAXONRASIB RESISTANCE OF NSCLC KRAS(G12C) MUTANT CELLS.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

A human-specific genetic modifier reconfigures large-scale cortical network dynamics underlying behavioral performance.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> uses a eukaryotic-like uridyltransferase to make UDP-GlcNAc for cell wall synthesis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same journal

Dynamic redistribution of eIF4F controls cap-dependent translation initiation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Establishing an Octopus Ecosystem for Biomedical and Bioengineering Research

Establishing an Octopus Ecosystem for Biomedical and Bioengineering Research

Published on: September 22, 2021

Neuronal segmentation in cephalopod arms.

Cassady S Olson¹, Natalie Grace Schulz², Clifton W Ragsdale^2,3

¹Committee on Computational Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|June 10, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Octopus arm control is surprisingly modular. Researchers discovered segmented neural organization within the axial nerve cord (ANC), revealing a new understanding of motor control in cephalopods.

More Related Videos

Isotropic Light-Sheet Microscopy and Automated Cell Lineage Analyses to Catalogue Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis with Subcellular Resolution

Isotropic Light-Sheet Microscopy and Automated Cell Lineage Analyses to Catalogue Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis with Subcellular Resolution

Published on: June 6, 2019

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Published on: March 12, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Establishing an Octopus Ecosystem for Biomedical and Bioengineering Research

Establishing an Octopus Ecosystem for Biomedical and Bioengineering Research

Published on: September 22, 2021

Isotropic Light-Sheet Microscopy and Automated Cell Lineage Analyses to Catalogue Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis with Subcellular Resolution

Isotropic Light-Sheet Microscopy and Automated Cell Lineage Analyses to Catalogue Caenorhabditis elegans Embryogenesis with Subcellular Resolution

Published on: June 6, 2019

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Published on: March 12, 2014

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Comparative Anatomy
Marine Biology

Background:

Cephalopod arms possess remarkable dexterity, yet the underlying neural mechanisms for arm and sucker control are poorly understood.
The axial nerve cord (ANC) in octopus arms is a significant neural structure, containing more neurons than the central brain.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neuronal organization of the adult axial nerve cord (ANC) in *Octopus bimaculoides*.
To elucidate the neural basis for motor control in octopus arms and suckers.

Main Methods:

Utilized molecular and cellular methods to study the ANC's neuronal organization.
Examined transverse and longitudinal sections of the ANC to reveal its structural and functional architecture.

Main Results:

Discovered a segmented organization within the ANC, with neuronal cell bodies forming columns separated by septa, comprising approximately 15 segments per pair of suckers.
Identified a modular organization in the ANC neuropil, where neuronal processes project within and between segments, innervating arm musculature and suckers.
Observed that ANC nerve exits and vasculature utilize the septa, and sucker nerves exhibit "suckerotopy" within the ANC.

Conclusions:

The segmented neural modules in the octopus ANC provide a novel framework for understanding motor control of soft tissues in cephalopods.
This study presents the first evidence of nervous system segmentation in molluscs, suggesting a link between segmentation and the evolution of flexible, sucker-laden arms.