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Related Concept Videos

Position Vectors01:29

Position Vectors

A position vector is a fundamental concept in mathematics that helps determine the position of one point with respect to another point in space. It is a vector that describes the direction and distance between two points. Position vectors are highly useful in the field of math and science, as they help represent spatial relationships and make calculations easier.
For instance, we want to locate a point P(x, y, z) relative to the origin of coordinates O. In that case, we can define a position...
Position and Displacement01:31

Position and Displacement

The position of an object defines its location relative to a convenient frame of reference at any particular time. A frame of reference is an arbitrary set of axes from which the position and motion of an object are described. Earth is often used as a frame of reference, and we often describe the position of an object as it relates to stationary objects on Earth. For example, a rocket launch could be described in terms of the position of the rocket with respect to Earth as a whole. On the other...
Position and Displacement01:31

Position and Displacement

The position of an object defines its location relative to a convenient frame of reference at any particular time. A frame of reference is an arbitrary set of axes from which the position and motion of an object are described. Earth is often used as a frame of reference, and we often describe the position of an object as it relates to stationary objects on Earth. For example, a rocket launch could be described in terms of the position of the rocket with respect to Earth as a whole. On the other...
Position and Displacement Vectors01:00

Position and Displacement Vectors

To describe the motion of an object, one should first be able to describe its position (where it is at any particular time). More precisely, the position needs to be specified relative to a convenient frame of reference. A frame of reference is an arbitrary set of axes from which the position and motion of an object are described. Earth is often used as a frame of reference to describe the position of an object in relation to stationary objects on Earth.
Further, several important kinds of...
Position and Displacement Vectors01:00

Position and Displacement Vectors

To describe the motion of an object, one should first be able to describe its position (where it is at any particular time). More precisely, the position needs to be specified relative to a convenient frame of reference. A frame of reference is an arbitrary set of axes from which the position and motion of an object are described. Earth is often used as a frame of reference to describe the position of an object in relation to stationary objects on Earth.
Further, several important kinds of...
Electronic Structure of Atoms02:28

Electronic Structure of Atoms


An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum numbers:  n, l, ml, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments
05:39

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments

Published on: March 18, 2019

Positional information, in bits.

Julien O Dubuis1, Gasper Tkacik, Eric F Wieschaus

  • 1Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 4, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Developing embryos use gene expression levels as positional information. In Drosophila, gap genes provide nearly two bits of information per gene, defining cell location with high precision.

Keywords:
embryonic developmentgene regulatory networksoptimization

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Last Updated: May 7, 2026

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Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy
15:04

Picometer-Precision Atomic Position Tracking through Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 3, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Systems biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Embryonic cells lack direct mechanisms to sense physical position.
  • Gene expression patterns establish a code for "positional information" within developing embryos.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the information content of gene expression patterns related to cell position.
  • To analyze the role of gap genes in Drosophila melanogaster embryos for positional information encoding.

Main Methods:

  • Information theory was applied to measure gene expression data in bits.
  • Analysis focused on the expression levels of specific gap genes in the Drosophila embryo.

Main Results:

  • Individual gap genes carry approximately two bits of positional information.
  • Four gap genes collectively provide sufficient information to define cell location along the anterior/posterior axis with high precision.
  • The information content is nearly constant along the embryo's length.

Conclusions:

  • Gap gene expression patterns encode precise positional information in Drosophila embryos.
  • The observed precision approaches the theoretical maximum for unique cell identity.
  • Constancy in information content suggests an optimal strategy for information transmission in developmental gene networks.