Chapter 2 Specifying Identity

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to cellular specification and differentiation processes discussed in the Chapter 2 lecture notes.

Differentiation

The process during which a cell ceases to divide and develops specialized structural elements and distinct functional properties.

Specification

The stage when the fate of a cell or tissue is said to be specified when it is capable of differentiating autonomously in a neutral environment.

Determination

The stage when a cell is capable of differentiating autonomously even in a new environment.

Autonomous Specification

A mode of specification where cells differentiate into specific cell types even when isolated.

Conditional Specification

A mode of specification where a cell's fate depends on its interactions with neighboring cells.

Syncytial Specification

A mode of specification in which cells in a syncytium, a mass of cytoplasm with multiple nuclei, determine their fates without separating into individual cells.

Fate Map

A diagram that maps the larval or adult structures onto the region of the embryo from which they arose.

Transcriptome

The full complement of RNAs being produced by a cell at a given time, which can be analyzed to determine gene expression.

Developmental Trees

Treelike visualizations of cell differentiation over time that show changes in gene expression throughout the developmental process.

Cytoplasmic Determinants

Substances within the cytoplasm that affect the fate of a cell, particularly during early development.