Where Do the Cells That Build the Face Come From?
Take the reading one piece at a time. For each piece: read it once, underline the sentence that says what happens, then look up any word in the list. Tap a word to see its definition.
Piece 1 of 2
Early in development the back of the embryo folds up to form the neural tube (the future brain and spinal cord). Picture a flat sheet of cells rolling up like a taco; the two rising top edges are the neural folds, and right at their crest sits a special strip, the neural crest. The neural crest in the head (the cranial neural crest) is the population that builds the face, and it starts out as part of a tightly packed sheet (an epithelium).
Piece 2 of 2
A short time after the folds meet, these cells loosen their grip on their neighbors, change shape from boxy sheet-cells into loose crawling cells, and break free from the top of the neural tube. That break-free step is delamination, and the shape change behind it is an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Once free, a single cranial neural crest cell can become many different things: bone, cartilage, connective tissue, dermis, tooth-forming cells, nerve-supporting cells, and pigment cells. A cell that can become many types is called multipotent.
Reading the Research
- Skim the title and abstract first to get the gist.
- Circle the one sentence that states the main claim.
- Box the evidence the authors give for that claim.
- Mark one sentence that confuses you, and move on.
Now put it together: In one or two sentences, say what this whole reading is telling you about Mateo. Then go back to the lesson and fill in the guided notes.