The subplate, also called the subplate zone, together with the
marginal zone and the
cortical plate, in the
fetus
A fetus or foetus (; : fetuses, foetuses, rarely feti or foeti) is the unborn offspring of a viviparous animal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic development, embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Pren ...
represents the developmental
anlage of the mammalian
cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. It is the largest site of Neuron, neural integration in the central nervous system, and plays ...
. It was first described, as a separate transient fetal zone by
Ivica Kostović and
Mark E. Molliver in 1974.
During the midfetal period of
fetal development the subplate zone is the largest zone in the developing
telencephalon
The cerebrum (: cerebra), telencephalon or endbrain is the largest part of the brain, containing the cerebral cortex (of the two cerebral hemispheres) as well as several subcortical structures, including the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olf ...
. It serves as a waiting compartment for growing cortical
afferents; its cells are involved in the establishment of pioneering cortical
efferent projections and transient fetal circuitry, and apparently have a number of other developmental roles. The subplate zone is a
phylogenetically recent structure and it is most developed in the
human brain
The human brain is the central organ (anatomy), organ of the nervous system, and with the spinal cord, comprises the central nervous system. It consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. The brain controls most of the activi ...
.
Subplate neurons (SPNs) are among the first generated
neurons
A neuron (American English), neurone (British English), or nerve cell, is an membrane potential#Cell excitability, excitable cell (biology), cell that fires electric signals called action potentials across a neural network (biology), neural net ...
in the
mammalian
A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. It is the largest site of Neuron, neural integration in the central nervous system, and plays ...
. These neurons disappear during
postnatal development and are important in establishing the correct wiring and functional maturation of the cerebral cortex.
Subplate neurons appear to be selectively sensitive to injury (such as
hypoxia) which in
humans are associated with motor and
cognitive defects .
Subplate neurons are the first cortical neurons to receive synaptic inputs from
thalamic axons, establishing a temporary link between thalamic axons and their final target in layer IV.. Later, thalamic axons invade layer IV where they innervate layer IV neurons. In the visual system thalamic axons to layer IV form
ocular dominance columns and this segregation of thalamic axons is impaired if subplate neurons are missing .
See also
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Cerebral Cortex
The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. It is the largest site of Neuron, neural integration in the central nervous system, and plays ...
*
Cortical column
A cortical column is a group of neurons forming a cylindrical structure through the cerebral cortex of the brain perpendicular to the cortical surface. The structure was first identified by Vernon Benjamin Mountcastle in 1957. He later identified c ...
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Cerebral hemisphere
The vertebrate cerebrum (brain) is formed by two cerebral hemispheres that are separated by a groove, the longitudinal fissure. The brain can thus be described as being divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each of these hemispheres ...
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References
{{Reflist
Developmental neuroscience
Cerebral cortex