Abstract: Apoptosis may play an important role in organ development and self-balance maintenance.Apoptosis is beneficial to clear away the redundant and abnormal cells, which builts the new dynamic balancebetween cell proliferation and apoptosis. This mechanism is important for the neural tube development. Duringthe neural tube development, genetics, maternal nutrition, and environmental factors may affect apoptosis bydirect or indirect disturbance to the expression of key genes, by which apoptosis is affected. Apoptotic disorderleads to imbalance between cell proliferation and apoptosis, which interferes with normal development. Theclosed neural tube defects make up dysrhaphia and deformity. In this article，the role of apoptosis in the neural tube development was reviewed.

Key words: Apoptosis, Neural tube defects, Embryonic development, Congenital abnormalities, Genes