What is the first stage of central nervous system development?

The first stage of central nervous system development is proliferation. During this critical phase, neural stem cells undergo mitosis, generating a large number of progenitor cells. This increase in cell number is essential as it lays the foundation for all subsequent stages of development in the central nervous system.

Proliferation occurs primarily in the neuroectoderm layer, giving rise to neurons and glial cells that are essential for brain function. This process is tightly regulated, as an appropriate number of cells must be produced to ensure proper brain structure and function.

After proliferation, the subsequent stages of development, which involve the migration of these newly formed cells to their appropriate locations, and their differentiation into specific types of neurons and glial cells, follow. Understanding proliferation is fundamental to grasping how the central nervous system is initially formed and how various neurological structures come into existence.