The notochord is a flexible rodlike structure made up of mesodermal cells that serve as the primary longitudinal structural element of chordate.
It is similar to cartilage and is involved in signaling and organization of the nervous system.
The notochord usually develops around 16 days after gastrulation from the axial mesodermal cells and is completely formed by the end of the fourth week.
In humans:
The dorsal nerve cord is a characteristic feature that is primarily arranged in the Vertebrata subphylum of chordates.
It forms a component of the vertebral column in later stages of vertebrate development.
In vertebrates, it occurs just behind the fully developed spinal cord.