Cellular Differentiation and Development

Vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts of cellular differentiation, gene activation, zygote development, and cell cycle adaptation from the lecture notes.

Mitosis

A process of cell division that produces genetically identical cells.

Cellular differentiation

The process during development where different genes are turned on (activated) or off in different patterns, controlling the formation of specialized cell shapes and functions.

Zygote

A single fertilized egg cell that contains all the chromosomal information needed to make a complete new individual, and from which all body cells are derived.

230

The number of different specialized cell types that arise from a single human zygote.

About 50

The approximate number of cell divisions that take place from the zygote to produce the specialized cell types.

Developmental pathway

The developmental course of a cell that, once determined, cannot be altered to change the cell into another cell type.

Gene activation

The turning on or off of specific genes at certain stages in cell division sequences, which determines what type of cell will develop.

Cell cycle length adaptation

The variation in cell cycle duration reflecting environmental demands, such as shorter cycles in skin cells and intestinal epithelial cells that are constantly worn away and must regenerate.