The conception of the human embryo, the genesis of organs, and its eventual delivery in the form of a healthy baby is one of the most magical natural phenomena and yet, one of the most mundane. Magical because around twenty thousand processes need to synchronise to code an equal number of genes. Mundane because this is also the approximate number of babies that are born every hour across the globe; we share our birthday with about 20 million people.

The crystallisation of the brain and spinal cord, probably owing to my inherent bias, is the most captivating. Simplistically, the central nervous system appears in the embryo at the beginning of the third week after conception as a slipper-shaped structure called the neural plate, which then gently and purposely elevates, folding its enigmatic edges into a tube. The cranial end of the tube closes around the 25th day and allows for the development of the brain, while the tail end seals a few days later promoting spinal cord development over which the rest of the musculoskeletal system and skin develops.