Developmental Biology Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from a developmental biology lecture.

Neil Vargsson

A developmental biologist from Forrester Hill.

Development

The process that starts with fertilization and results in the formation of an embryo and fetus, involving gastrulation, germ layer formation, and organogenesis.

Zygote

The result of egg fertilization, containing half the DNA from each parent.

Gastrulation

A key developmental process where the embryo forms germ layers.

Germ Layers

Layers formed during gastrulation that give rise to all cells in the body.

Developmental Structures

Structures such as the nervous system and somites that form during development.

Organogenesis

Process where internal organs form.

Cleavage

Cell division without an increase in the zygote's size.

Blastomere

Stage where the zygote divides into smaller units without getting bigger.

Morphogenesis

Involves gastrulation and neurulation and makes an embryo.

Regional Specification

Telling cells to become different from each other.

Cell Differentiation

Process by which cells become different types.

Growth

Increase in size.

Types of Cleavage

Different methods of embryo cleavage, including holoblastic, meroblastic, superficial, radial, and spiral.

Morula

A ball of cells formed as the cells divide.

Blastocyst

Stage after the morula where cells release fluid, forming an inner cell mass.

Inner Cell Mass

Forms the embryo proper.

Hyperblast

Forms the yolk sac.

Epiblast

Will make every single cell in your body.

Gastrulation

Starts around day 15 or 16 in humans with the formation of the primitive streak.

Primitive Streak

A groove that forms on the epiblast during gastrulation.

Node

The organizer at the tip of the primitive streak that induces cell proliferation and migration.

Buccopharyngeal membrane

Membrane that will make the mouth.

Germ Layers

The three cell layers formed during gastrulation: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.

Epiblast

Replaced by the ectoderm.

Ectoderm

Gives rise to the skin and nervous system.

Endoderm

Gives rise to the internal organs.

Mesoderm

Gives rise to the limbs, skeleton, muscle, heart, and blood.

Neurulation

Formation of the brain and neural tube.

Neural Ectoderm

Ectoderm induced to become neural ectoderm by prenotochordal cells.

Neural Plate

Develops rapidly and makes folds.

Massive Folds

Eventually form and merge to create the neural tube.

Spina Bifida

Defect that results from failure of neurulation.

Neural Crest Cells

Cells that migrate away after the neural tube closes and make up the skull, teeth, nerves in the head, and part of the heart's outflow tract.

Somites

Vertebral column.

Somites Products

Vertebral column, muscle, and skin .

Phyllotypic Stage

Species look similar.

HOX genes

Master control genes that are transcription factors and regulate the expression of other genes.

Retinoic acid

A derivative of vitamin A that controls Hox gene activation.

A homeobox gene that makes the eye

PAC-six