Histoenzymology of the developing human spinal cord

Abstract In the human fetal spinal cord, enzymatic activity is demonstrated in neurons of the anterior horn a few weeks before it appears in neurons of the posterior horn. This enzymatic activity is present first in the lumbar segment of the spinal cord and with advancing time gradually ascends cephalad. The presence of acetyl‐cholinesterase activity in neuronal cytoplasm in the lumbar segment of the spinal cord coincides with the earliest detectable movement in the lower limbs.