The single layer of epithelial cells that lines the early neural tube and develops into the nervous system and into the neural crest cells.

As the cells adjacent to the lumen continue to divide, the migrating cells form a second layer around the original neural tube. This layer becomes progressively thicker as more cells are added to it from the germinal neuroepithelium. This new layer is called the mantle (or intermediate) zone, and the germinal epithelium is now called the ventricular zone (and, later, the ependyma)[NCBIBook:NBK10047]

original neural tube, germinal neuroepithelium, germinal neuroepithelial layer

uberon

UBERON:0004022

http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/cl.owl

• neural tube mantle layer

• neural tube ventricular layer