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Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...

Cleavage and Blastulation

Cleavage and Blastulation

After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.

Gastrulation

Gastrulation

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...

Fertilization

Fertilization

During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Time-lapse Microscopy of Early Embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Time-lapse Microscopy of Early Embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 25, 2011

LECs go crazy in embryo development.

Siobhan A Braybrook¹, John J Harada

¹Department of Plant Biology and Graduate Program in Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Trends in Plant Science

|November 18, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

LEAFY COTYLEDON transcription factors regulate plant embryo maturation and somatic embryogenesis. Their target genes and hormonal effects link totipotency to crucial developmental processes in seed plants.

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Time-lapse Microscopy of Early Embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Mutant Whole Mouse Embryos: From the Epiblast to the End of Gastrulation

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Mutant Whole Mouse Embryos: From the Epiblast to the End of Gastrulation

Published on: June 14, 2024

Area of Science:

Plant developmental biology
Molecular genetics
Plant reproductive biology

Background:

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is crucial for totipotency in plants.
LEAFY COTYLEDON (LEC) transcription factors (TFs) are key regulators of embryo development.
LEC TFs influence both embryo maturation and SE initiation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which LEC TFs regulate plant embryo maturation and SE.
To identify target genes activated by LEC TFs involved in these processes.
To explore the role of LEC TFs in balancing abscisic acid and gibberellic acid levels.

Main Methods:

Analysis of gene expression patterns related to LEC TFs.
Identification of LEC TF target genes using molecular biology techniques.
Hormonal assays to measure abscisic acid and gibberellic acid levels.

Main Results:

Specific target genes activated by LEC TFs were identified.
These target genes are proposed to mediate LEC TF functions in embryo maturation and SE.
LEC TFs were found to influence the balance of abscisic acid and gibberellic acid.

Conclusions:

LEC TFs play a fundamental role in plant embryo development and totipotency.
Target gene activation and hormonal regulation are key mechanisms for LEC TF function.
Understanding LEC TFs provides insights into controlling plant development and regeneration.