{{Short description|Type of embryonic tissue}} {{Infobox embryology | Name = Ectomesenchyme | Latin = ectomesenchyma; mesenchyma cristae neuralis | Image = | Caption = | Image2 = | Caption2 = }} '''Ectomesenchyme''' has properties similar to mesenchyme. The origin of the ectomesenchyme is disputed. It is either like the mesenchyme, arising from mesodermic cells, or conversely arising from neural crest cells.<ref name="pmid14699583">{{cite journal |vauthors=Weston JA, Yoshida H, Robinson V, Nishikawa S, Fraser ST, Nishikawa S |title=Neural crest and the origin of ectomesenchyme: neural fold heterogeneity suggests an alternative hypothesis |journal=Dev. Dyn. |volume=229 |issue=1 |pages=118–30 |year=2004 |pmid=14699583 |doi=10.1002/dvdy.10478|s2cid=12781111 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The neural crest is a critical group of cells that form in the cranial region during early vertebrate development. Ectomesenchyme plays a critical role in the formation of the hard and soft tissues of the head and neck, such as bones, muscles, teeth, and notably, the pharyngeal arches.
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Developmental biology
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