neural tissues, the mesoderm that forms muscle and bone, and the endoderm that will form the cells lining the digestive and respiratory tracts. The progenitor cells that make up the precursors to neural tissues in the neural plate are called neuroepithelial cells. Stretched over the notochord, the ectodermal cells on the dorsal portion of the embryo are ultimately the ones that form the neural plate. Approximately half of those cells will be induced to remain ectoderm, while the other half will form the neural plate. There are four stages of neural plate and neural tube formation: formation, bending, convergence, and closure. The formation of the neural plate starts when dorsal mesoderm signals ectodermal cells above it to lengthen into columnar neural plate cells. This different shape distinguishes the cells of the presumptive neural plate from other pre-epidermal cells. If the neural plate is separated by itself, it will still develop to make a thinner plate but will not form a neural tube. If the region containing presumptive epidermis and neural plate tissue is isolated, small neural folds will form. Elongation that occurs throughout the formation of the neural plate and closure of the neural tube is vital; the closing areas of the neural tube are seen to have very increased elongation activity in the midline compared to already closed areas when the plate was beginning to shape itself into a tube. The bending of the neural plate involves the formation of hinges, where the neural plate is connected to surrounding tissues. The midline of the neural plate is referred to the median hinge point (MHP). Cells in this area, known as medial hinge point cells because of their involvement with this structure, are stabilized and connected to the notochord. They are derived from the area of the neural plate anterior to primitive knot. The notochord will begin the shape changes in MHP cells. These cells will decrease in height and become wedge-shaped. Another type of hinge point occurs dorsal-laterally, referred to as dorsal-lateral hinge point (DLHP). These regions furrow and change shape in the same way as MHP cells do before connecting together to form the neural tube. It was seen in an experiment that without the notochord, the MHP characteristics did not develop correctly, so the neural plate and neural tube formation did not happen properly. The communication between the neural plate and the notochord is important for the