sclerotome

Ventral somitic compartment that is a precursor of the axial skeleton[XAO]. Sclerotomes eventually differentiate into the vertebrae and most of the skull. The caudal (posterior) half of one sclerotome fuses with the rostral (anterior) half of the adjacent one to form each vertebra. From their initial location within the somite, the sclerotome cells migrate medially towards the notochord. These cells meet the sclerotome cells from the other side to form the vertebral body. From this vertebral body, sclerotome cells move dorsally and surround the developing spinal cord, forming the vertebral arch[WP].