Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell Diversity01:13

Cell Diversity

5.8K
The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
Multicellular...
5.8K
Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

43.2K
The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
43.2K
Cellular Differentiation00:57

Cellular Differentiation

6.1K
How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...
6.1K
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

7.1K
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...
7.1K
What are Cells?01:15

What are Cells?

52.0K
Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium, or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
Basic Characteristics of Cells
A living cell has a plasma membrane, a bilayer of lipids that separates the aqueous solution inside the cell called the cytoplasm from the outside environment.
Furthermore, a living cell possesses genetic information...
52.0K
What are Cells?01:07

What are Cells?

211.7K
Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
Basic Characteristics of Cells
A living cell has a plasma membrane, a bilayer of lipids that separates the aqueous solution inside the cell called the cytoplasm from the outside environment.
Furthermore, a living cell possesses genetic information...
211.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Single-cell, clonal and spatial atlases of cranial placodes illuminate their specification and evolution.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Role of SoxE transcription factors in development and disease.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same author

Paleontology: A diverse biota in the shadow of a mass extinction?

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Molecular insights into electroreceptor ribbon synapses from differential gene expression in sturgeon lateral line organs.

Journal of anatomy·2025
Same author

The Biodiversity Cell Atlas: mapping the tree of life at cellular resolution.

Nature·2025
Same author

Expression and function of new candidate regulators of placodal neurogenesis in Xenopus laevis.

Developmental biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Lineage Tracing and Clonal Analysis in Developing Cerebral Cortex Using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers MADM
09:25

Lineage Tracing and Clonal Analysis in Developing Cerebral Cortex Using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers MADM

Published on: May 8, 2020

11.4K

The origin and evolution of cell types.

Detlev Arendt1,2, Jacob M Musser1, Clare V H Baker3

  • 1Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69012 Heidelberg, Germany.

Nature Reviews. Genetics
|November 8, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

An evolutionary definition clarifies animal cell types by focusing on core regulatory complexes. This approach distinguishes cell lineages and enables comparative studies across species.

More Related Videos

Live Imaging of Primary Cerebral Cortex Cells Using a 2D Culture System
10:12

Live Imaging of Primary Cerebral Cortex Cells Using a 2D Culture System

Published on: August 9, 2017

8.8K
Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function
07:30

Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function

Published on: December 7, 2019

9.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Lineage Tracing and Clonal Analysis in Developing Cerebral Cortex Using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers MADM
09:25

Lineage Tracing and Clonal Analysis in Developing Cerebral Cortex Using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers MADM

Published on: May 8, 2020

11.4K
Live Imaging of Primary Cerebral Cortex Cells Using a 2D Culture System
10:12

Live Imaging of Primary Cerebral Cortex Cells Using a 2D Culture System

Published on: August 9, 2017

8.8K
Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function
07:30

Cell-cell Fusion of Genome Edited Cell Lines for Perturbation of Cellular Structure and Function

Published on: December 7, 2019

9.9K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Cell types are fundamental to multicellular organisms, exhibiting extensive diversification in animals.
  • Current cell type classification schemes lack clarity and are often ambiguous.
  • Understanding cell type evolution is crucial for comparative biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an evolutionary definition for cell types.
  • To establish a framework for delineating and comparing cell types within and between species.
  • To identify key molecular mechanisms underlying cell type identity.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics analysis of transcription factor networks.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of core regulatory complexes (CoRC).
  • Integration of developmental and evolutionary lineage data.

Main Results:

  • Evolutionary changes in the core regulatory complex (CoRC) define distinct cell types.
  • CoRC alterations enable independent evolution of sister cell types.
  • Cell type-specific traits, termed apomeres, are regulated by CoRC.

Conclusions:

  • An evolutionary definition of cell type provides a robust framework for classification.
  • Core regulatory complexes are critical drivers of cell type diversification and evolution.
  • Future research should focus on integrating developmental and evolutionary perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of cell types.