Week 3: Differentiation And Development Flashcards
What is the fate of cells during development?
The fate of cells is determined by their position and molecular signals during development.
This includes processes such as differentiation and the influence of neighboring cells.
What are somatic cells?
Somatic cells are all cells in the body except sperm and egg cells.
They contain the same DNA but are differentiated into various cell types.
What is a zygote?
A zygote is a diploid cell formed by the fusion of sperm and egg during fertilization.
What is the difference in chromosome number between somatic cells and gametes?
Somatic cells are diploid (2n) while gametes (sperm and egg) are haploid (n).
How many different cell types are found in the human body?
More than 210 different cell types.
What are model organisms used for in developmental biology?
Model organisms are used to study embryo development due to ethical and practical constraints of using human embryos.
Name a few characteristics that make a good model organism.
A good model organism should be:
* Easy to work with
* Produce a lot of eggs and embryos
* Transparent
* Large
* Develop outside the body.
What is C. elegans?
C. elegans is a transparent nematode used as a model organism in developmental biology.
What is the significance of the grey crescent in frog development?
The grey crescent is the region around which the dorsal surface of the frog embryo will develop.
What is gastrulation?
Gastrulation is the process where cells rearrange and differentiate to form tissue layers.
What are the three primary germ layers formed during gastrulation?
The three primary germ layers are:
* Ectoderm
* Mesoderm
* Endoderm.
What role does VegT protein play in embryonic development?
VegT protein is a transcription regulator that activates genes coding for mesoderm and endoderm.
What is the difference between totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent cells?
Totipotent cells can become all cell types, pluripotent cells can become most cell types, and multipotent cells can become several cell types.
What is the Weismann Barrier?
The Weismann Barrier states that information is inherited via the germ line, while somatic cells can influence the germ line through epigenetic changes.
True or False: The development of cells is completely predetermined and cannot change.
False. Cell fate can be influenced by position and neighboring cells.
