The Establishment of Left and Right. Flashcards
What kind of gene pairs establish the dorsal/ventral axis of the body?
Antagonistic gene pairs.
What genes establish the anterior/posterior axis?
FGF and the HOX genes.
At what stage of embryonic development is the left/right axis established?
During gastrulation.
Which is established first, the anterior/posterior axis or the left/right axis?
Anterior posterior.
The left/right axis is established last.
Where is the asymmetry in humans?
On the inside of the body.
What is the normal condition of humans?
2 lobes on the left lung and 3 on the right.
The heart points to the left.
The liver is on the right side.
The stomach and spleen are on the left.
What is right isomerism in humans?
Each lung has 3 lobes. (2 right lungs).
There will be no spleen.
What is left isomerism in humans?
Each lung has 2 lobes. (2 left lungs).
There will be 2 spleens.
What is situs inversus in humans?
2 lobes on the right lung and 3 on the left.
The heart points right.
The liver is on the left.
The stomach and spleen are on the right.
When does left/right development start?
At around 4-5 weeks.
Where are the internal organs initially found in the embryo?
In the centre of the embryo.
What happens to form left/right asymmetry at around 7 weeks?
There is a rotation by the internal organs which displaces the liver to the left and the stomach and spleen to the right.
At what stage of embryonic development are the organs in their proper places?
At around 11 weeks.
Where does the heart develop in the body?
In the centre.
How does the heart develop in the embryo?
The heart will rotate so that it is pointing to the left hand side of the body.
At what stage will the heart begin to rotate?
At around 6 weeks.
How do the lungs develop in the developing embryo?
The lungs will develop as an outgrowth of the digestive tube.
At what stage will the lungs develop?
At around 4 weeks.
Where are the mono cilia found in mice and humans?
At Hensons node of the primitive streak.
How do the mono cilia influence the left/right axis?
They will be bent by extra embryonic fluid.
How does the extra embryonic fluid cause the mono cilia to bend?
The extra embryonic fluid produces a left hand flow, causing a vortical motion that bends the cilia.
What does the bending of the cilia lead to?
It is thought to lead to the changes in gene expression that lead to the establishment of the left/right axis.
What are the changes in gene expression caused by the left hand flow of the extra embryonic fluid and the bending of the cilia?
There is an asymmetric expression of genes where FGF-8 and SHH are expressed in different gradients.
Where is FGF-8 expressed in the embryo?
On the left side of the embryo.