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Related Concept Videos

Determination01:51

Determination

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During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...
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The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

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In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
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The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness02:19

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The Y chromosome is a sex chromosome found in several vertebrates and mammals, including humans. In addition to 22 pairs of autosomes, the human males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. In these organisms, the presence or absence of the Y chromosome determines the development of male traits.
Evolution
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Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus01:15

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Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
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Commitment is the  process whereby stem cells:
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Dosage Compensation02:50

Dosage Compensation

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In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
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Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development
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Cell fate commitment during mammalian sex determination.

Yi-Tzu Lin1, Blanche Capel1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
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Gonad development relies on supporting cell fate decisions, determining whether testes or ovaries form. This process involves transcriptional and signaling networks that maintain male or female characteristics.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics
  • Reproductive Biology

Background:

  • Gonads develop as bipotential organs, capable of differentiating into either testes or ovaries.
  • Secondary sex characteristics are determined by the type of gonad formed.
  • The supporting cell lineage within the gonad is critical for this cell fate decision.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the bipotential state of somatic and germ cell lineages in gonad development.
  • To describe the transcriptional and signaling networks governing gonad fate determination.
  • To explain the commitment, propagation, and maintenance of testis or ovary fate.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on gonad development.
  • Analysis of transcriptional regulation in supporting cell lineages.
  • Examination of signaling pathways involved in sex determination.

Main Results:

  • Supporting cell progenitors commit to either Sertoli (male) or granulosa (female) fates.
  • This commitment is propagated to other cells within the gonad.
  • Transcriptional and signaling networks orchestrate the maintenance of the determined gonad fate.

Conclusions:

  • The supporting cell lineage plays a pivotal role in gonad sex determination.
  • Complex molecular networks control the bipotential state and subsequent fate commitment.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for reproductive biology and developmental research.