Hensen's node

Abstract

With the 125th anniversary of the original description of Hensen's node in the rabbit coming up and with current research focused on the function of this pivotal embryonic structure, this article proposes a simplified use of terms for the gastrulation organizer in amniote embryos and reemphasizes the achievements of Victor Hensen (1835-1924) in embryology. A partial translation of Hensen's paper (originally published in German) is accompanied by a short historical introduction that concentrates on the framework of embryological research at Hensen's time and on the subsequent reception of his classic paper.