Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Efficient and Rapid Isolation of Early-stage Embryos from Arabidopsis thaliana Seeds
Published on: June 7, 2013
Phosphatized polar lobe-forming embryos from the Precambrian of southwest China
Jun-Yuan Chen1, David J Bottjer, Eric H Davidson
1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Institute of Evo/Developmental Biology, and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. chenjy@nju.edu.cn
Abstract:
In developing embryos of some extant spiralian animals, polar lobe formation is one of the symmetry-breaking mechanisms for segregation of maternal cytoplasmic substances to certain blastomeres and not others. Polar lobe formation leads to unique early cleavage morphologies that include trilobed, J-shaped, and five-lobed structures. Fossil embryos similar to modern lobeforming embryos are recognized from the Precambrian Doushantuo Formation phosphates, Weng'an, Guizhou Province, China. These embryos are abundant and form a developmental sequence comparable to different developing stages observed in lobe-forming embryos of extant spiralians. These data imply that lobe formation is an evolutionarily ancient process of embryonic specification.
More Related Videos
07:32Protocols for Obtaining Zygotic and Somatic Embryos for Studying the Regulation of Early Embryo Development in the Model Legume Medicago truncatula
Published on: June 9, 2015
05:41In Vitro Ovule Cultivation for Live-cell Imaging of Zygote Polarization and Embryo Patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: September 11, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Fertilization
Cleavage and Blastulation
The Angiosperm Life Cycle
Seed Structure and Early Development of the Sporophyte
Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation