neural tube

In the developing vertebrate, the neural tube is the embryo's precursor to the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord. The neural groove gradually deepens as the neural folds become elevated, and ultimately the folds meet and coalesce in the middle line and convert the groove into a closed tube, the neural tube or neural canal (which strictly speaking is the center of the neural tube), the ectodermal wall of which forms the rudiment of the nervous system. [WP,unvetted]. Every claim on this page comes from the Leumas anatomy graph and carries its source.

What the neural tube is

In the developing vertebrate, the neural tube is the embryo's precursor to the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord. The neural groove gradually deepens as the neural folds become elevated, and ultimately the folds meet and coalesce in the middle line and convert the groove into a closed tube, the neural tube or neural canal (which strictly speaking is the center of the neural tube), the ectodermal wall of which forms the rudiment of the nervous system. [WP,unvetted]. The atlas records it as a tissue at the tissue scale in the human body.

Where the neural tube is

This dataset records no region or system for it. No positional evidence of any kind. Drawn outside the body so it can still be found and counted, never inside it.

What the neural tube connects to

The atlas records 11 typed relationships for it, across 4 kinds of connection. part of embryo and embryonic structure.

Supply and innervation

This dataset asserts no arterial supply, venous drainage or innervation for the neural tube. Only a minority of structures carry those edges here, so an empty answer means nothing has been recorded — not that there is nothing to record.

Also called

Also recorded as neural primordium, presumptive central nervous system and tubus neuralis. Searching any of those names reaches this page.

Source

Uberon multi-species anatomy ontology (Mungall et al.), CC BY 4.0. Term UBERON:0001049, version 2026-06-19, retrieved 2026-08-24. Licence: CC-BY-4.0.

• Part of: embryo and embryonic structure.
• A kind of: anatomical conduit, ecto-epithelium, embryonic structure, epithelium and tissue.
• contains: midbrain neuromere, prosomere and rhombomere.
• develops into: central canal of spinal cord.

Questions

Where is the neural tube?

This dataset records no region or system for it. No positional evidence of any kind. Drawn outside the body so it can still be found and counted, never inside it.

What does the neural tube connect to?

Part of: embryo and embryonic structure.

Is the neural tube the same in other species?

Leumas holds the same relationship vocabulary for every species it carries, so where another dataset records this structure you can put the two side by side on /compare.