Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
11:52
Temporal Ordering of Dynamic Expression Data from Detailed Spatial Expression Maps
Published on: February 9, 2017
Spring forward and fall back: dynamics in formation of somite boundaries
1Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
Developmental Cell
|November 15, 2002
Summary
Oscillating signaling systems guide mesoderm segmentation into somites. New research reveals intricate cell movements are key to forming these somite boundaries in chick embryos.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Embryology
Background:
- Segmental body organization is crucial for vertebrate development.
- Oscillating signaling pathways regulate the formation of somites, the precursors to axial skeleton and muscles.
- The precise cellular mechanisms driving somite boundary formation remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular dynamics underlying somite boundary formation.
- To elucidate the role of cell movements in mesoderm segmentation.
- To provide a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of early somite development.
Main Methods:
- Time-lapse microscopy of living chick embryos.
- High-resolution imaging of mesodermal cell behavior.
- Quantitative analysis of cell trajectories and tissue morphogenesis.
Main Results:
- Somite boundary formation involves a complex, coordinated series of cell movements.
- Specific cell behaviors, such as directed migration and cell intercalation, were observed at future boundary sites.
- These movements precede overt morphological separation, revealing a dynamic process of boundary definition.
Conclusions:
- Somite boundary formation is an active process driven by intricate cell choreography.
- Understanding these cellular dynamics offers new insights into fundamental principles of embryonic segmentation.
- This study provides a foundation for further research into the genetic and molecular regulation of somite development.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:56Gastrulation
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
01:30Neurulation
Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
01:22Sutures of the Skull
The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:07Development of the Limb Synovial Joints
Joints form during embryonic development in conjunction with the formation and growth of the associated bones. The embryonic tissue that gives rise to all bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of the body is called mesenchyme.
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
01:24Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...