Talk:Neuroblast

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In science, a small difference may cause a big error. That is why we need standards. A small difference in spelling may mean two very different things. That is why we need standard terminologies. Whereas neuro-, neural and nervous describe things that are related to nerve cells and glial cells, neuron, neuronal and neuroblast refer only to nerve cells. Hence neuroepithelium, neural tube, and nervous tissue give rise to, or contain, both nerve cells and glial cells, but neuron and neuroblast are strictly for the types of cells (mature and differentiating nerve cells respectively) they name.

I believe that this post in consistent with the general consensus, so I added a reference to Purves' textbook which clearly indicates that neuroblasts differentiate into neurons (not neural cells, which would include glia). Interestingly, Gilbert's Developmental Biology textbook defines a neuroblast as a "neural precursor cell" in one place (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10103/box/A1084/) but as "neuronal precursors" in another (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10047/#A2899), so there may be further room for discussion on this point.--Biolprof (talk) 03:26, 30 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's not correct that neuroblasts only produce neurons. In drosophila, a neuroblast divides to produce one neuroblast and one ganglion mother cell, and then the ganglion mother cell divides to produce either two neurons or one neuron and one glial cell. There are also, as I understand it, other pathways by which neuroblasts give rise to glia. Looie496 (talk) 04:24, 30 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]