The specialized glial structure (non-neuronal cells) situated at the ventral midline of the embryonic neural tube; this structure spans the anteroposterior axis from the midbrain to the tail regions, separating the left and right basal plates of the developing neural tube, and serves as an organizer to ventralize tissues in the embryo as well as to guide neuronal positioning and differentiation along the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube.
Comment:
"A structure integral to the developing nervous system of vertebrate organisms. Located on the ventral midline of the embryonic neural tube, the floor plate is a specialized glial structure that spans the anteroposterior axis from the midbrain to the tail regions. It has been shown that the floor plate is conserved among vertebrates with homologous structures in invertebrates such as the fruit fly Drosophila and the nematode C. elegans. Functionally, the structure serves as an organizer to ventralize tissues in the embryo as well as to guide neuronal positioning and differentiation along the dorsoventral axis of the neural tube." {source="Wikipedia:Floor_plate"}