Professor David Van Vactor explains how growth cones guide axons during neurodevelopment.
So, the growth cone is a fascinating structure at the tip of the developing axon discovered over one hundred years ago by a great Spanish anatomist, Cajal. And it is a very dynamic structure, almost like a tiny hand at the tip of the axon, which explores the embryonic landscape. It is the growth cone that does most of the work of navigation to reach targets in the developing nervous system.
neurodevelopment, axon, growth, cones, guidance, cajal, david, van, vactor,
L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), also known as neural cell adhesion molecule 1 or A0290, is a member of a subgroup of integral membrane proteins that belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules (CAM).