all Flashcards
what is development?
series of progressive changes in form and function usually in early part of organisms life cycle
what is cleavage?
division of cells to form blastula
what is gastrulation?
formation of tissue layer and axis
blastula transformed into embryo with 3 tissue layers
what is organogenesis?
formation of organs
what is morphogenesis?
mechanism of body shape formation
cell differentiation and growth to form complex adult shape
what is fertilisation?
maternal and paternal genetic material fuse forming diploid
rapid divisions producing a multicellular embryo
in the zygote where is the nucleus of egg and nutrients located?
nucleus- animal hemisphere
nutrients- vegetal hemisphere
in amphibians what happens what happens once the sperm enters the animal hemisphere?
cortex rotates exposing the grey crescent- the proteins here control what form the cells will take
at each cleavage what happens?
cells double in number and divide at the cleavage furrow
what do the 3 cleavage patterns depend on?
amount of yolk and spindle formation
what are the 3 cleavage patterns?
complete
- can be no yolk and cells are equal in size
- yolk cn impede/obstruct cleaving furrow so cells divide asymmetrically
incomplete discoidal
- birds
- lots of yolk
- cleavage furrows don’t penetrate yolk
- blastodisc forms on top of yolk
incomplete superficial
- insects
- nuclei migrate to edge and membrane grows inwards
what happens if the insects yolk is in the middle of the egg
there is no cytokinesis
what is radial cleavage?
mitotic spindles form at high angles parallel to animal vegetal axis
what is spiral cleavage?
mitotic spindles form at oblique angles to a-v axis
spiral cell pattern
what is rotational cleavage?
first division parallel to a-v xis
second division at right angles
what happens at determination?
cells fate becomes fixed
what is the endoderm of mammals?
inner layer
digestive tract, circulatory tract, respiratory tract
what is the ectoderm of mammals?
outer layer
epidermis, nervous system
what is the mesoderm of mammals?
middle layer
bone, muscle, liver, heart, blood vessels
what 2 things does the blastodisc in birds contain and what are they and which one is at the top of the blastocyst?
- epiblast (embryo)
- hypoblast (extraembryonic membranes)
epiblast t top
in gastrulation in mammals what 2 things can the blastula become?
- trophoblast (placenta)
- inner cell mass (epiblast and hypoblast)
what is neurulation?
occurs early in organogenesis
begins formation of nervous system in vertebrates
what are somites?
blocks of mesoderm
produce vertebrae, ribs, muscles
what do neural crest cells produce?
peripheral nerves
in an egg what is at the top, below it and to the right and what is directly around the 3 structures?
top: amnion
below: yolk sac
right: allantois
surrounded by chorion
what are the 3 extraembryonic membranes supporting the embryo and what do each of these do?
- yolk sac- nutrient transfer
- amnion- protection
- chorion- gas/water exchange
- allantois- waste storage
where is the allantois in mammals?
incorporated into the umbilical cord
what 3 epigenetic factors control development?
- cytoplasm
- genes
- external environment
what controls early embryonic development and does transcription occur at this point?
nuclear DNA
no transcription
in embryos what does the cytoplasm provide/control?
provide enzymes and proteins
controls metabolic cycles and instructions for cell division and the fate of the nucleus
what is genomic activation?
transition from maternal control to embryo control
why does cell division slow down in embryos and what can this help us work out?
slows down due to transcription and protein production taking time
helps work out timing of genomic activation
what does differentiation result from?
differential gene expression
influenced by extracellular environment
describe the stages of the frog experiment for developmental control
- dissociate and culture in medium adult skin cells from epidermis
- obtain the nucleus from these cells
- activate and enucleate a frog egg cell
- combine nucleus and enucleated egg
- cleavage
- clone (genetic info- nucleus, cytoplasm- egg)
what in the gray crescent is needed for development?
cytoplasmic factors
a) what are cytoplasmic factors?
b) what are the 2 main types?
a) chemical signals involved in cell differentiation
b) cytoplasmic segregation
induction
what is cytoplasmic segregation?
- factor unequally distributed in cytoplasm in zygote so ends up in some daughter cells but not others
- differences in cytoplasmic makeup cause differentiation of cells
what is primary induction in amphibians and birds?
amphibians: cells move over dorsal lip of blastopore which induces ectoderm to form neural tissue
birds: cells moving under hensons node are induced to form CNS
what is secondary induction in the vertebrate eye?
lens placode tissue induces optical vesicles to form a cup shape this induces surface tissue to form lens
how can cells interpret positional information?
positional information is given by conc gradient of a morphogen
amount of morphogen determines signal
when is a cell considered to be a morphogen?
- if directly affects target cells
- if different conc. cause different effects
in terms of morphogens how is the hand formed?
cells at base of bud make a morphogen (BMP2) whos gradient determines anterior-posterior axis of limb
highest dose= thumb
lowest dose= little finger
what is genomic imprinting?
genes only active if specifically from a male or a female
is the development of internal cell mass controlled by maternal or paternal genes?
maternal
is the trophoblast that is part of the placenta controlled by maternal or paternal genes?
paternal
what are the 4 types of segmentation genes?
- gap genes- organise areas along anterior-posterior axis
- pair rule genes- divide embryo into units of 2 segments each
- segment polarity genes- determine segment boundaries
- homeotic genes- along length of body and determine what segments will become
in mice where will the first and last hox genes on the chromosome be expressed?
first: head
last: tail
what does a mutation in homeotic genes mean?
there is a change in the identity of the segement
in fruit flies what do the mutant homeotic genes do?
a) antennapedia
b) bithorax
a) legs grow instead of antennae
b) an extra thorax
what is apoptosis?
programmed cell death caused by activation of ‘death’ genes
in humans which enzyme stimulates apoptosis for webbed feet and toes?
caspase
what do mice raised in microbe free environments lack and what does this result in?
lack gut bacteria
gut bacteria needed as it induces gene expression in intestine which is needed for capillary development
so normal capillaries dont develop
in the human neural tube what is it known as if there is a failure to close at the posterior end?
spina bifida
in the human neural tube what is it known as if there is a failure to close at the anterior end?
anencephaly
in tibetans what does a lack of iodine result in for adults and babies?
adults: goitre
babies: cretinism
what does cyclopamine in corn lily plants do?
causes birth defects in lambs
inhibits action of sonic hedgehog protein and so neural system may not form properly
what is a clone and what are the 4 main types of cloning mechanisms?
an individual that is genetically identical to another
- natural
- embryo splitting
- reprogramming somatic cells
- nuclear transfer
if splitting occurs too late in embryo formation what can result?
conjoined twins
how are monozygotic twins formed and what do they have?
blastomeres in 2 cell embryo separate naturally early on
have their own nutrients (no competition)
can differentiation be reversible?
yes
why is cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer controversial?
- invasive technique
- technical problems
- ethical dilemma
what 2 features allow SCNT to occur?
- nucleus of every somatic cell has a complete copy of the individuals genome
- fertilised egg is totipotent
what are megan and morag and what happened in 1995?
first mammals cloned from cultured differential embryo cells
- wilmut and campbell
- sheep embryo cells deprived of growth factor
- DNA transferred to cytoplasts (enucleated eggs) stimulated to develop
- embryos placed in surrogate
what was dolly and what happened in 1996?
first mammal cloned from adult cells
- wilmut and cambell
- deprived adult mammary glands of growth factor
- cells fused with enucleated egg, stimulated
- placed into surrogate
- dolly genetically identical to mammary gland sheep
what was polly and why was she created?
first transgenic mammal clone
aim to produce a flock of transgenic sheep that could produce therapeutically useful proteins (such as human gene for clotting factor 1X in milk used to treat haemophilia
give 5 potential uses of cloning
- developmental research
- conservation
- cloning elite livestock
- disease resistant farming
- therapeutic cloning
what is pharming and xenotransplantation?
pharming: G.M farm animals produce pharmaceuticals in milk
xenotransplantation: using animal organs for transplant
what are 7 issues with cloning?
- who decides what species should be cloned?
- wont bring back a loved one
- aging (telomeres shorten, age quickly)
- low success rate
- large foetus syndrome
- prolonged gestation
- lack of genetic variation so disease vulnerability
a) what are stem cells?
b) what do they produce?
c) what are fibroblasts?
a) undifferentiated cells capable of extensive proliferation
b) other stem cells, differentiated progeny cells
d) feeder cells on which cells are grown in vitro
what forms when stem cells are given vitamin A derivatives?
nerve cells
what happens in the brain of people with parkinsons?
dopamine producing cells slowly die
what does phenotype result from?
interaction of genes, gene products, environment
what are these due to:
a) similarities
b) differences
a) due to having a common ancestor
b) due to natural selection, adapting them to different environments
what did Darwin recognise relationships in organisms could be deduced from?
similarities among embryos
what will changes in developmental processes do over evolutionary time?
modify form of adult organism
a) what is evolutionary developmental biology a combo of?
b) what does it study?
a) genetics and embryology
b) - how changes in genes regulating development affect adult forms of organisms
- how these genes have changed over evolution
- how these changes have influenced evolution
if a mouse pax6 gene is expressed in a fruit fly what happens?
an eye will develop instead of a leg
in which 2 groups does the same set of hox genes provide anterior-posterior info?
mammals and insects
where are drosophila gap genes and homologous vertebrate genes expressed?
in anterior region of the brain
what 3 things can morphological changes result from?
- mutation in genes regulating development
- changes in spatial (where) expression of developmental genes
- changes in temporal (when) expression of developmental genes
what does modularity mean?
developing embryos are modular- have self contained units that can be changed independently of each other
what happens if there is a mutation in the ubx gene in insects?
mutated gene expressed in abdomen represses d11 gene for leg formation
so legs dont form on abdomens
a) what does BMP4 do in birds?
b) what is gremlin?
c) what kind of expression change is this?
a) expressed between developing toes instructs cells to undergo apoptosis
b) inhibits apoptosis on toes not webs which protects them
c) spatial
what is heterochrony ?
that modularity allows the timing of developmental processes to shift independently causing changes in size and shape
what is an example of a temporal expression change?
if expression of genes dissolving webs delayed digits dont grow
juvenile webbed feet form with suction cups for arboreal way of life
what 2 environmental cues determine development?
- cues necessary for normal development
2. signals closely correlated with future conditions
in mosquitos after a blood meal how is egg production stimulated?
prior to meal no vitellogenin yolk protein made
after meal brain stimulated to secrete egg development hormones stimulating ovaries to produce compounds stimulating fat body cells to release an egg
what is the symbiotic relationship between grasshoppers and bacteria?
bacteria live in egg cytoplasm and can only multiply here
hosts embryogenesis dependent on them
in W.african butterfly whats the difference between dry and wet season forms?
dry: <20c, less distal, darker
wet: >24c, more distal, lighter
what is polyphenism?
2 different forms depending on phylogenetic path animal follows
how do the larvae of N.arizonaria differ between spring and summer?
spring: feed on oak flowers
summer: feed on oak leaves
in daphnia what do they do when they encounter predator chaoborus but what is a drawback?
increase helmet size
produce fewer eggs
in spadefoot toads what happens to the tadpoles if the ponds dry up?
- develop a wider mouth, powerful jaw, modified intestine
- eat other tadpoles to develop quicker (transition to carnivorous diet)
whats the difference between sex and reproduction?
reproduction: offspring production
sex: fusion of genetic material from 2 different parents
give 5 features of asexual reproduction in general
- all genes from 1 parent
- all offspring genetically identical
- easy, cheap, straightforward
- transmits intact parental genome successfully
- mutations transmitted
in what way do strawberries reproduce asexually and sexually?
asexual: runners
sexual: seeds on outside, flowers, pollen exchange
describe the 4 asexual reproduction types
- fragmentation/regeneration
- body broken into pieces, can develop into adults
- body parts can regrow - binary fission
- single cells divide in 2 - budding
- offspring grow from body of parent
- masses from parents can become offspring - parthenogenesis
- unfertilised eggs develop into offspring
- not haploid
- not in mammals (genomic imprinting)
in which stress condition os asexual or sexual more likely?
low stress: asexual
high stress: sexual
give 4 features of sexual reproduction in general
- union of 2 parental genomes
- 1.5-2 bn years
- 2 gamete and 2 mating types
- meiosis, recombination, segregation
what are the 3 main fundamental processes of sexual reproduction
- gametogenesis
- mating (gamete transfer)
- fertilisation
describe external fertilisation and the problems with it
eggs and sperm mix and fuse in aquatic environment (requires water) issues: - cant control delivery - lots of gametes needed - egg predation
what are the 2 types of internal fertilisation?
indirect- spermatophore deposited for femle
direct- sperm directly transferred into female
explain the 4 min issues with copulation (direct)
- damage
- bean weevils wound females internally killing them - traumatic insemination
- bed bug females have no opening so male pierces membrane to place sperm - sexual cannibalism
- females kill mate
- nutrition, prevent paternity monopolisation - sexual reproduction hijacked
- can leave individuals vulnerable to sexually transmissible patterns
what are gonads?
specialised organs producing gametes
describe the general process of spermatogenesis
- sperm produced from spermatogonial stem cells
- cells divide by mitosis producing diploid spermatocytes
- meiosis 1 occurs producing diploid secondary spermatocytes
- meiosis 2 occurs producing haploid spermatids and them 4 sperm cells
give 7 features of spermatogenesis in fruit flies (insects)
- in cysts
- distal to proximal
- larval stage
- sperm produced in a few days
- <10,000 sperm per day
- stored in seminal vesicle
- semen from accessory glands
give 7 features of spermatogenesis in humans (mammal0
- in seminiferous tubules
- periphery to lumen
- puberty
- produced 74 days
- 300 million sperm per day
- stored in epididymis
- semen from seminal vesicles and prostate gland
what is sperm a) gigantism and b) heteromorphism
a) varying lengths
b) varying shapes and sizes
how does oogenesis differ from spermatogenesis?
oogenesis has placement of metaphase plate
explain the general process of oogenesis
- in meiosis 1 diploid primary oocyte splits into secondary oocyte and polar body
- in meiosis 2 it is split into an ovum and polar bodies and then a haploid ovum
give 5 features of oogenesis in fruit flies (insects)
- distal to proximal
- larval
- eggs produced in a few days
- <100 per day
- released into uterus
- oviparous (no pregnancy)
give 6 features of oogenesis in humans (mammals)
- within follicle
- 400,00 follicles at birth
- starts at population
- 1 per month
- follicle ruptures, oocyte into fallopian tube
- if not fertilised uterus lining degenerates
at puberty what does the hypothalamus secrete and what does this stimulate?
GnRH
stimulates FSH and LH from anterior pituitary gland
in spermatogenesis what do these stimulate?
a) LH
b) FSH
a) stimulates development of seminiferous tubules and sertoli cells
b) stimulates leydig cells to secrete testosterone
in oogenesis what do these stimulate?
a) FSH
b) LH
a) stimulates follicle development and estrogen secretion
b) stimulates follicles maturation and ova release
what does estrogen do?
enhances follicle and endometrium growth
what does progesterone do?
grows and maintains endometrium, secretes nutrients for embryo
what are the stages of the female reproductive cycle beginning with the release of GnRH from the hypothalamus ?
- FSH and LH released from anterior pituitary gland
- these stimulate follicle to grow
- estrogen secreted by growing follicle
- progesterone and estrogen secreted by corpus luteum
- peak causes LH surge
- surge triggers ovulation
- transition from follicular phase to luteal
- progesterone and estrogen promote thickening of endometrium
in the whole menstrual cycle what are the 3 main stages?
menstrual
proliferative
secretory
how do birth control pills work?
by negative feedback of FSH and LH
- synthetic estrogen and progesterone
- body doesn’t experience a sudden rise of estrogen so no ovulation or egg release
- cervical mucus altered
- uterus lining inhospitable