Lecture 16. Organising a Body Plan in Multicellular Organisms Flashcards
What can give rise to complex multicellular organism ?
A fertilised egg cell
How do most multicellular organisms arise ?
Sexual reproduction
What does sexual reproduction ensure ?
Genetic variation and adaptability in the population
How is a diploid individual formed ?
Two haploid gametes produced by parents fuse
What process takes places in the production of gametes ?
Meoisis
What does meiosis achieve ?
Halving of the genetic material
What is gametogenesis ?
Produces a haploid sperm and egg
What are the two functions of fertilisation ?
- Brings haploid gametes together to form the new individual
- Activates the developmental processes in the egg
How are different cell types produced ?
Progressively as the embryo develops
What is special about a fertilised egg cell ?
It is the only cell that naturally has the capacity to form a new unique individual
What are model organisms use for ?
Researchers study development in model organisms to identify general principles
What are some examples of invertebrate model organisms ?
- Drosphilia melanogaster
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Echinodermata
What are some examples of vertebrate model organisms ?
- Xenopus laevis - frog
- Gallus - chick
- Mus musculus - mouse
- Danio rerio - zebrafish
What is an example of a plant model organism ?
Arabidopsis thaliana
What are the steps involved in building a new organism ?
- Fertilisation
- Cleavage
- Gastrulation
- Neurulation
- Organogenesis
What does cleavage form ?
A hollow ball or disk of cell eg. blastula, blastoderm
What is gastrulation ?
Turns the blastula into a three germed layer
What is neurulation ?
A special type of organogenesis - it sets cells as and forms the entire nervous system
What does a three layered embryo have ?
A primitive gut called a gastrula
What are the three germ layers called ?
Ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm
Where is the ectoderm ?
Outer layer
Where is the mesoderm ?
Middle layer
Where is the endoderm ?
Inside layer