Intro Flashcards
1
Q
What is a morphogen?
A
A morphogen is a biological molecule, the concentration of which varies according to their position, thereby conveying positional information. Cells are sensitive to local concentration of morphogen, responding by committing to a particular fate.
2
Q
What are maternal genes?
A
Maternal effect genes are genes from the mother which are transcribed in nurse cells and then relocalised to the oocyte to be translated and utilised by the egg.
3
Q
Name 3 maternal genes
A
Bicoid, nanos and dorsal. These genes encode morphogens responnsible for organistation of the embryo axes.
