Neural progenitor cells: After forming a<unk> , embryonic neural progenitor cells spread out into a monolayer. A.<unk>  consisting of SVZ cells isolated at E15 that have aggregated in suspension after 2 days in culture. Scale bar: 100 µm. B.<unk>  of SVZ cells derived at E15 that has attached to the floor of the culture flask after 4 days in culture. Note cells migrating away from the<unk> . Scale bar: 100 µm. C. Cells at the periphery of<unk> s were chosen for electrophysiological recording. Most of the recorded cells extended processes. Arrows indicate the location of recording (left) and puffer (right) pipettes. Scale bar: 20 µm. Smith DO et al., PLoS ONE, 2008 A<unk>  is a culture system composed of free-floating clusters of neural stem cells.<unk> s provide a method to investigate neural precursor cells in vitro. Putative neural stem cells are suspended in a medium lacking adherent substrates but containing necessary growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor. This allows the neural stem cells to form into the characteristic 3-D clusters. However,<unk> s are not identical to stem cells; rather, they only contain a small percent of neural stem cells. The predominant use of the<unk>  is in the<unk>  assay. However, in vitro and in vivo environments have shown to have different inductive effects on precursor cells. The creation of the<unk>  assay is highly sensitive; it is still unclear as to the exact differing effects that environment produces, relative to the in vivo environment.
Neurosphere
Neuromatrix
Cortical minicolumn
Chondrocranium
Dinacharya
Tapetum lucidum
Growth cone
Neuroblast