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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jan 9.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2013 Jan 9;77(1):19–34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.12.022

Figure 3. Subtypes of stem and progenitor cells in the developing neocortex.

Figure 3

Early in neocortical development, neuroepithelial cells divide symmetrically to expand the progenitor pool before transforming into radial glial cells (RGCs). RGCs typically divide asymmetrically to self-renew and produce either neurons or intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs). IPCs divide symmetrically to generate pairs of neurons, or in some cases additional IPCs that then make neurons. Short neural precursors are similar to IPCs in that they undergo terminal symmetric divisions to make neurons, but like RGCs they maintain an apical end foot and are located in the ventricular zone. Basal RGCs (bRGCs) have a basal attachment at the pial basement membrane similar to RGCs, but do not maintain an apical process and thus have their cell bodies located in the outer margins of the SVZ. bRGCs self-renew (not shown) and generate IPCs and neurons. At the end of neurogenesis, RGCs and bRGCs transform into astrocyte progenitors. For abbreviations see legend to Fig. 2.