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8.1 identify the role of genes in embryonic development
identify the role of genes in embryonic development
- On fertilisation, two haploid sets of chromosomes join to produce a zygote containing all the genes necessary to grow into a new individual.
- As mitosis occurs, the resulting embryo grows into a mass of undifferentiated cells. As the embryo develops, cells differentiate and become specialised in their size, shape and function according to which genes are used to regulate these developments.
- The activities of genes are regulated by other genes to control all cell activities, production of proteins and enzymes, at different times of development. A variety of proteins, activators and repressors, link up with different parts of DNA to cause interaction between various other proteins and genes. The result is that some genes are affected and expressed and others are repressed or inhibited. Genes are turned on or off according to their position in the embryo, function and age of the developing embryo/foetus/individual.