Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes
Published on: February 23, 2009
Methods for Isolating the Balbiani Body/Germplasm from Xenopus laevis Oocytes
Amanda Butler1, Dawn Owens1, Mary Lou King1
1Department of Cell Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
Abstract:
The Balbiani body (Bb) is a large membrane-less organelle, densely packed with mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, proteins, and RNA. The Bb is present in many vertebrate female gametes. In frogs, the Bb is established early during oogenesis and operates as a maternal inherited embryonic determinant that specifies germline identity through the formation of germplasm. We describe here two techniques to isolate the Bb/germplasm from Xenopus laevis primary oocytes.
Related Concept Videos
Reduced Mass Coordinates: Isolated Two-body Problem
Body Temperature
Body Temperature
The average body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F) and typically ranges from 36.1–37.2°C...
Centroid of a Body
For a homogeneous body with constant density, the centroid can usually be found using equations representing a balance of the moments of the body's volume. If the...
Free-body Diagram
A free-body diagram transforms a complex problem into a simple representation, making it easy to understand the...
Composite Bodies
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...

