Lecture 25 - Developmental Genetics

Question 1

Developmental Genetics

Answer 1

The study of the regulatory processes that control cell growth, differentiation and morphogenesis. The study of cell fate, cell determination and differentiation and pattern formation.

Question 2

What is Determination?

Answer 2

Processes by which a cell or part of an embryo becomes restricted to a given developmental pathway

Question 3

What is Differentiation?

Answer 3

The process by which a cell becomes dedicated to perform a specific function.

Question 4

What is Totipotency

Answer 4

ability of a single cell to divide and produce all of the differentiated cells in an organism.

Question 5

Define Pleuripotent

Answer 5

ability of a single cell to divide and produce all cell types but placenta cell lineages.

Question 6

What is Unipotent?

Answer 6

ability of a single cell to divide and produce a single kind of differentiated cell in an organism.

Question 7

What often brings about major developmental changes?

Answer 7

Alterations of key regulatory sequences

Question 8

Only the ____ cells are totipotent.

Answer 8

Morula’s (16 cell)

Question 9

Pluripotent stem cells orginate as ______ within a blastocyte.

Answer 9

inner mass cells

Question 10

Hematopoietic stem cells are an example of?

Answer 10

Multipotency

Question 11

What is the process of cloning an animal?

Answer 11

Take an egg cell and remove the nucleus. Then insert the nucleus of the animal to be cloned. The fertilized egg is then placed in a pseudopregnant mother.

Question 12

These cells are differentiated to mark the end of a developing fly?

Answer 12

Pole Cells

Question 13

Egg-polarity genes do what?

Answer 13

Establish the main body axes

Question 14

Segmentation genes do what?

Answer 14

Determine the number and polarity of body segments

Question 15

Homeotic genes do what?

Answer 15

Establish the identity of each segment

Question 16

What does Maternal Origin mean with regard to Egg-polarity genes?

Answer 16

determination of anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes of the embryo are initiated by mRNA from the mother.

Question 17

What is a morphogen?

Answer 17

a protein that affects the developmental fate of the surrounding region through a concentration gradient.

Question 18

How are the poles determined in development?

Answer 18

through a concentration gradient.

Question 19

Homeotic genes in drosophilia do what?

Answer 19

identity of segments

Question 20

Homeobox Genes do what?

Answer 20

these are genes encoding DNA binding proteins. These proteins usually play a regulatory role.

Question 21

What are Hox genes?

Answer 21

encode transcription factors that help determine the identity of body regions.

Question 22

Loss-of-function mutations?

Answer 22

result in posterior to anterior transformations

Question 23

Gain-of-function mutations?

Answer 23

result in anterior to posterior transformations

Question 24

What is Heterotaxy syndrome?

Answer 24

refers to the lack of differentiation of right-sided and left-sided orgnas

Question 25

What is Necrosis?

Answer 25

injured cells dying in an uncontrolled manner