The ectoderm is the start of a tissue that covers the body surfaces. It emerges first and forms from the outermost of the germ layers.

What forms from it (general)?

• Nervous system
• Outer part of integument

What forms from it (vertebrates)?

In vertebrates, the ectoderm has three parts: external ectoderm, the neural crest, and neural tube.

• External Ectoderm
  • skin (along with glands, hair, nails)
  • epithelium of the mouth and nasal cavity
  • lens and cornea of the eye

• Neural Crest
  • melanocytes
  • peripheral nervous system
  • facial cartilage
  • dentin (in teeth)

• Neural Tube
  • brain (rhombencephalon, mesencephalon and prosencephalon)
  • spinal cord and motor neurons
  • retina
  • posterior pituitary

References

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• Evers, Christine A., Lisa Starr. Biology:Concepts and Applications. 6th ed. United States:Thomson, 2006. ISBN 0-534-46224-3.

See also

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Anatomy | Developmental biology | Gastrulation

Ektoderm | Ectodermo | Ektodermo | Ectoderme | Ectoderm | Ektoderma | Ectoderme | Ektoderm