A signal can vary across space.
Cells may respond differently to concentration thresholds and exposure duration.
Side 140
Developmental Biology
How a multicellular organism builds organized form from one cell through regulated gene expression, signaling, movement, growth and mechanical change.
cell fate→pattern→movement→morphogenesis→maturation
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Cells acquire positional information and distinct identities.
Developmental pattern emerges from signaling gradients, gene-regulatory networks and cell interactions.
Cells commit to different developmental trajectories.
Fate decisions depend on intrinsic state, signals and developmental history.
One tissue influences another's development.
Reciprocal interactions can coordinate neighboring structures.
Sharp domains can emerge from graded signals.
Cross-repression and feedback help stabilize distinct tissue identities.
Tissues acquire shape through coordinated cell behavior.
Form emerges from growth, movement, adhesion and mechanical forces.
Increase cell number in regulated regions.
Growth rate and orientation influence tissue geometry.
Move cells to new positions.
Guidance cues and adhesion determine migration paths.
Alter individual cell geometry.
Contractility and cytoskeletal remodeling can bend, fold or elongate tissues.
Remove cells in programmed patterns.
Controlled cell death sculpts structures and eliminates transient tissues.
Cells with similar genomes can become functionally different.
Stable cell identity arises through selective gene expression and epigenetic regulation.
Regulators reinforce lineage-specific programs.
Positive feedback can stabilize differentiated states.
Accessibility changes which genes can respond.
Epigenetic marks contribute to memory without changing DNA sequence.
Daughter cells can inherit different determinants.
Unequal inheritance creates divergence even within one lineage.
Some cells specialize and reduce plasticity.
Specialization can improve function while limiting future fate options.
Developmental mechanisms can reappear during repair.
Regenerative capacity varies widely across tissues and species.
Maintain self-renewal and differentiation capacity.
Stem-cell behavior depends on both intrinsic programs and local niche signals.
Mature cells can sometimes regain plasticity.
Reversal of identity is tightly regulated and context-dependent.
Repair must restore organization, not merely cell number.
Regeneration requires positional information and coordinated morphogenesis.
Growth and repair can conflict with tumor suppression.
Systems that permit plasticity must also constrain uncontrolled proliferation.
Development is coordinated change across scales. Genes do not directly specify final anatomy; they participate in signaling and regulatory networks that shape cell behavior in space and time.