The neural cell adhesion molecule appears on early embryonic cells and is important in the formation of cell collectives and their boundaries at sites of morphogenesis. Later in development it is found on various differentiated tissues and is a major CAM mediating adhesion among neurons and between neurons and muscle. NCAM shares many features with immunoglobulins and is considered a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily NCAM gene is mapped to 11q23.1.Synonyms: N-CAM-1, NCAM, NCAM-1, Neural cell adhesion molecule 1