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39 public questions tagged with this topic.

Which of the following statements about frog metamorphosis is correct?

Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in the metamorphosis of tadpoles into adult frogs. This follows from NCERT principle where the relation explains the outcome clearly for students in simple steps.

Ref: NCERT Biology Textbook for Class XI and XII (Zoology section), Chapter: Structural Organisation in Animals and Frog, Topic: Tissues, skeletal and organ systems.

Differential gene expression implies:

Differential gene expression explains how genetically identical cells achieve phenotypic diversity. Every somatic nucleus contains complete genome, yet only subset of genes transcribed in any given cell type due to combinatorial control. Enhancers, promoters, transcription factors such as MyoD in muscle, Ngn3 in pancreas, epigenetic marks including H3K27ac activation and DNA methylation silencing, dictate lineage-specific transcriptomes. Post-transcriptional regulation further refines proteome. This model refutes notion DNA differs among cells or mutations drive specialization, instead emphasi

Ref: Davidson, Genomic Regulatory Systems; Gilbert, 12th ed., Chapter 2: Gene regulation.

Which molecule inhibits BMP signaling in C. elegans development?

Bone morphogenetic protein signaling must be tightly modulated by extracellular antagonists conserved from flies to mammals. Noggin, Chordin, Sclerostin, Gremlin bind BMP ligands BMP2/4-like DBL-1 and SMA-6 receptor ligands preventing receptor engagement with ALK-SMAD cascade. In C. elegans, homologous antagonists shape dorsal-ventral patterning indirectly via sma-9. Noggin exemplifies inhibition by sequestering BMPs with cysteine-rich domain creating low BMP zones allowing neural induction. This mirrors Spemann organizer secreting Chordin to dorsalize ectoderm during gastrulation, conserving

Ref: Gilbert, Developmental Biology, 12th ed., Chapter 9: BMP antagonists Noggin and Chordin dorsalize organizer and inhibit signaling.

What happens if the P2 blastomere is removed at the 4-cell stage?

P2 blastomere provides inductive Wnt and Src signals to EMS at four-cell stage essential for endoderm. MOM-2 Wnt ligand from P2 activates MOM-5 Frizzled, WRM-1 beta-catenin asymmetry, LIT-1 Nemo kinase cascade in EMS, polarizing division into anterior MS and posterior E daughters. POP-1 TCF nuclear levels reduced posteriorly, permitting MED/END expression. If P2 is ablated surgically or genetically, extrinsic signal disappears, EMS defaults to MS-like fate, both daughters become muscle-pharynx precursors, endoderm marker ges-1 and elt-2 fail. Thus no intestine forms, demonstrating conditional

Ref: Gilbert, Developmental Biology, 12th ed., Chapter 8: P2-EMS interaction - Wnt signaling induces endoderm in C. elegans.

Which transcription factor is required for EMS blastomere fate in C. elegans?

SKN-1 is bZip transcription factor related to mammalian Nrf2, maternally provided and enriched in EMS and P2 via post-translational regulation and Wnt asymmetry. In EMS blastomere, SKN-1 directly activates MED-1,2 GATA factors and END-1,3 endoderm determinants leading to mesendoderm specification and tbx-35 muscle regulator. Nuclear entry depends on phosphorylation and redox sensing. Loss abolishes MS-derived pharynx, anterior body muscle, plus E-derived intestine causing embryonic lethality. It integrates maternal polarity, MET-2, and P2 inductive inputs ensuring EMS produces both mesoderm an

Ref: Gilbert, Developmental Biology, 12th ed., Chapter 8: SKN-1 transcription factor specifying EMS mesendoderm fate.