Comparative Developmental Biology Flashcards
What is a metazoan?
Any animal that goes through development from embryo to adult, has the three tissue layers (ecto/meso/endoderm).
What is a somatic cell?
Adult body cell.
What is a germ line cell?
Cells used for reproduction/genetic recombination (e.g. sperm and ova). These are immortal.
Are gametes haploid or diploid?
Haploid.
Why do cells remain small?
Metabolism relies upon diffusion of substances across the membrane, but have a large surface area to volume ratio to accomplish this.
What is apoptosis?
Programmed cell death, achieved by enzymes.
Why do mutations have a greater effect in embryos?
Mutations in the adult only affect the tissue in which it is
expressed. In the embryo mutations have knock-on
effects as organs try to form in an altered environment.
When does DNA replication take place at a maximal rate?
During development.
Which process ensure all the cells in our body have the same genes?
Mitosis.
What are iPS cells, and how may they be used?
Induced pluripotent stem cells. Have the properties of pre-implantation embryonic cells and can be used to produce different types of tissue.
