An early study on the role of taurine in the developing retina found a
strong correlation between concentrations of taurine and regional distribution
in embryonic tissue (Lima et al. 1989a). Development of the vertebrate retina
follows many of the same patterns, but the timing of development varies
amongst species. The early retinal neuroepithelium structurally appears
similar to other parts of the neural tube. It is during this early development
that the retinal progenitor cells have a predetermined fate. As the fate of the
progenitor cells in the neural tube becomes more determined, the first
recognized developmental pattern is the development of the lens placode,
which occurs from E9.5 in mice to E28 in humans (Graw 2010).