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Related Concept Videos

Morphogenesis02:19

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Scaling of morphogen gradients.

Danny Ben-Zvi1, Ben-Zion Shilo, Naama Barkai

  • 1Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|August 30, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Biological scaling maintains precise tissue proportions despite size variations. The Expansion-Repression mechanism robustly explains how morphogen gradients achieve this size-invariant pattern formation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Systems biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Organisms exhibit size variation within species, yet maintain consistent tissue proportions.
  • This size-dependent pattern regulation, known as biological scaling, is crucial for development and function.
  • Understanding the mechanisms of scaling is a growing area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review experimental evidence supporting biological scaling.
  • To describe theoretical models explaining how morphogen gradients scale with organism size.
  • To highlight the Expansion-Repression mechanism as a key model for scaling.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing experimental data on biological scaling.
  • Theoretical modeling of morphogen gradient scaling mechanisms.

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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

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Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
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Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

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Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos

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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

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  • Analysis of the Expansion-Repression circuit's properties.

    • Main Results:

    • Experimental evidence confirms the existence and importance of biological scaling.
    • The Expansion-Repression mechanism, where a signaling molecule regulates gradient width and is repressed by the morphogen, robustly achieves scaling.
    • This circuit can be implemented through various molecular interactions.

    Conclusions:

    • Biological scaling is a fundamental principle ensuring consistent organismal proportions.
    • The Expansion-Repression mechanism provides a robust and versatile model for understanding how morphogen gradients scale.
    • Further research can identify specific Expansion-Repression circuits in biological systems.