Maternal effect Flashcards
Maternal Effec
A genetic phenomenon where the phenotype of an offspring is determined by the maternal genotype and cytoplasmic factors deposited into the egg during oogenesis.
Actinomycin D
A transcription inhibitor that binds to DNA, preventing RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase.
Cytoplasm Injection
A technique where cytoplasm from a healthy egg is injected into a defective egg to restore normal maternal-effect functions.
Formin Gene Family
A group of genes encoding proteins that regulate cytoskeletal elements, influencing processes like actin filament formation.
Reciprocal Cross
A genetic cross in which the sexes of the parents are reversed to identify the influence of parental sex on inheritance patterns.
Maternal-Effect Gene
A gene expressed in the mother that produces products required for early embryogenesis, deposited in the egg cytoplasm.
Dextral
Refers to right-handed coiling in organisms, such as snail shells, often determined by maternal-effect genes
Sinistral
Refers to left-handed coiling in organisms, resulting from specific genetic or maternal influences.
Therapeutic Cloning
A process where a somatic cell nucleus is transferred into an enucleated oocyte to create embryonic stem cells for medical treatments.
Pluripotent Cells
Stem cells capable of differentiating into nearly all cell types except extraembryonic tissues.
Totipotent Cells
Cells capable of forming an entire organism, including both embryonic and extraembryonic tissues.
Multipotent Cells
Stem cells that can differentiate into multiple cell types within a specific lineage.
Unipotent Cells
Cells capable of differentiating into only one cell type.
Female-Sterile Mutation
Mutations causing infertility in females due to the absence of maternally provided products required for embryogenesis.
Embryogenesis
The process of development from a zygote to a multicellular embryo.
Oogenesis
The process of egg cell development in females, involving deposition of maternal molecules in the egg cytoplasm.
Zygote
A fertilized egg that marks the beginning of a new organism’s development.
Polar Body
A small cell produced during oogenesis that usually does not contribute to the embryo.
Blastocyst
A stage in mammalian embryogenesis characterized by a hollow ball of cells, containing an inner cell mass and a surrounding trophoblast.
Cytoskeleton
A cellular framework made of actin filaments and microtubules, essential for maintaining cell shape and division.
Maroonlike (mal) Gene
A gene in Drosophila located on the X chromosome, required for the synthesis of the aldehyde oxidase cofactor.
Paternal Rescue Effect
A phenomenon where a paternal allele compensates for a maternal deficiency, restoring the offspring’s normal phenotype.
Spina Bifida
A congenital defect caused by improper neural tube closure during embryogenesis, often linked to maternal nutrition.
Anencephaly
A severe neural tube defect where parts of the brain and skull fail to develop properly, influenced by maternal factors.
Fetal Protection Program
A public health initiative designed to reduce congenital defects through **nutrition* and lifestyle interventions during pregnancy.
a public helath initiative seeking to reduce congenital defects by proper nutrition during pregancy
Growth Factors
Proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival, essential in therapeutic cloning.
Lymnaea stagnalis
A snail species exhibiting maternal effect in shell coiling direction, where dextral is dominant over sinistral.
Loss-of-Function Mutation
Agenetic alteration that results in reduced or abolished activity of the gene product.
Cytoplasmic Determinants
Maternal molecules distributed in the egg cytoplasm that influence cell fate during embryogenesis.
Artificial Zygote
A zygote created by transferring a somatic cell nucleus into an enucleated egg.
Human Neural Tube Defects
Conditions such as spina bifida and anencephaly resulting from maternal deficiencies in folic acid
Yamanaka Factors
Four transcription factors used to induce pluripotency in mature cells, discovered by Shinya Yamanaka.
