 abstractthe connection of embryonic stem cell technology and developmental biology provides valuable tools to decipher the mechanisms underlying human brain development and diseases , especially among neuronal populations , that are not readily available in primary cultures . 
 it is obviously the case of neurons forming the human cerebral cortex . in the images that are presented , 
 the neurons were generated in vitro from human embryonic stem cells via forebrain - like progenitors . 
 maintained in culture for prolonged time , they acquired a mainly glutamatergic phenotype and morphological characteristics of cortical pyramidal neurons , including dendritic spines , and formed spectacular networks . 
Conflict of interest