Figure 5.

Schematic representation of the cardiocraniofacial module. (A) The cranial neural plate (yellow), prechordal plate (grey) and fused midline heart tube (pink) are in close apposition with the ventral pharyngeal endoderm (green) in the region in which the face will develop. As development proceeds (B–E), the cranial neural folds grow forward forming the forebrain, while the heart is pushed ventrally. The heart moves farther caudally as the pharyngeal arches (blue) and the frontonasal prominence develop to form the primordia that will shape the face. (Adapted from Hutson and Kirby, 2003).