The formation of the specialized region of ectoderm between the neural ectoderm (neural plate) and non-neural ectoderm. The neural crest gives rise to the neural crest cells that migrate away from this region as neural tube formation procedes.

The process in which a cell becomes capable of differentiating autonomously into a neural crest cell in an environment that is neutral with respect to the developmental pathway; upon specification, the cell fate can be reversed.

Any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of transcription from an RNA polymerase II promoter.

The process in which the anatomical structures of the viscerocranium are generated and organized during the embryonic phase. The viscerocranium is the part of the skull comprising the facial bones.

Any process that modulates the frequency, rate or extent of the inflammatory response, the immediate defensive reaction (by vertebrate tissue) to infection or injury caused by chemical or physical agents.

The process whose specific outcome is the progression of a cartilage element over time, from its formation to the mature structure. Cartilage elements are skeletal elements that consist of connective tissue dominated by extracellular matrix containing collagen type II and large amounts of proteoglycan, particularly chondroitin sulfate.

The biological process whose specific outcome is the progression of a head from an initial condition to its mature state. The head is the anterior-most division of the body.