Developmental Biology: Cell Differentiation, Morphogenesis, and Genetic Regulation

Development

Process by which an organism grows and specializes.

Cytoplasmic determinants

Maternal substances in the egg that influence development.

Inductive signals

Signals from nearby cells that direct gene expression.

Determination

Commitment to a specific cell fate.

Differentiation

Becoming specialized in form and function.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death.

Morphogenesis

Physical formation of body structures.

Morphogen

A molecule guiding pattern formation via gradients.

Body axis

Directional coordinates in development.

Bicoid

Morphogen establishing anterior structures in Drosophila.

Hox

Genes controlling body plan and segment identity.

Homeosis

Formation of the wrong structure in the wrong place.

Stem cell

Unspecialized cell able to become specialized.

Totipotent

Can produce all cell types including extraembryonic tissues.

Embryonic stem cell

Pluripotent cell from early embryo.

Adult stem cell

Multipotent cell found in adult tissues.

Pluripotent

Can become nearly any cell type.

Multipotent

Can become a limited range of cell types.

Oncogene

Mutated proto-oncogene causing cancer.

Proto-oncogene

Normal growth-promoting gene.

Tumor-suppressor gene

Gene that inhibits cell growth or division.

ras

G protein proto-oncogene involved in signaling.

p53

Tumor-suppressor gene that regulates DNA repair and apoptosis.