Wolpert Chapter 5 Summary

A series of flashcards capturing key vocabulary and concepts related to somite development and embryology as discussed in Chapter 5 of Wolpert.

Somites

Blocks derived from the mesoderm that develop into bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscles.

Mesoderm

The middle layer of an embryo that forms somites and other structures.

Myogenic cells

Cells that develop into muscle tissue, particularly limb muscles.

Hensen's Node

A structure that plays a critical role in the development of the vertebrate body, from which somites form.

Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET)

A process where loose, unorganized mesenchymal cells transition to organized epithelial cells during somite formation.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

A process where epithelial cells lose their characteristics and gain migratory properties, often involved in cancer metastasis.

Clock and Wavefront Model

A model that explains somite formation as waves of gene expression moving in a directional pattern during development.

Retinoic Acid (RA)

A signaling molecule that helps regulate somite separation and development.

FGF/Wnt Pathway

A signaling pathway important for various developmental processes, including somite formation.

Hox Genes

A group of related genes that control the body plan of an embryo along the anterior-posterior axis.

Posterior Dominance

The principle that Hox genes expressed most posteriorly influence the fate of developing regions.

Ectomesenchyme

A type of embryonic connective tissue derived from the neural crest.

Neural Crest Cells

Multipotent cells that can differentiate into various cell types, including neurons and glia.

Paralogous Genes

Genes that have evolved by duplication within a genome and may acquire new functions.