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

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

35.7K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
35.7K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

6.9K
Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
6.9K
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

3.2K
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
3.2K
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

31.7K
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
31.7K
Nondisjunction01:21

Nondisjunction

4.3K
Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers.  Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis.  Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold...
4.3K
Nondisjunction01:29

Nondisjunction

78.1K
During meiosis, chromosomes occasionally separate improperly. This occurs due to failure of homologous chromosome separation during meiosis I or failed sister chromatid separation during meiosis II. In some species, notably plants, nondisjunction can result in an organism with an entire additional set of chromosomes, which is called polyploidy. In humans, nondisjunction can occur during male or female gametogenesis and the resulting gametes possess one too many or one too few chromosomes.
78.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Studying histone inheritance in different systems using imaging-based methods and perspectives.

Biochemical Society transactions·2023
Same author

On the structure of water at the aqueous/air interface.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2009
Same author

Probiotic safety in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces spp.

Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC·2009
Same author

An approximation algorithm for the minimum breakpoint linearization problem.

IEEE/ACM transactions on computational biology and bioinformatics·2009
Same author

Evaluation of preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump in coronary patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing OPCAB surgery: early and mid-term outcomes.

Journal of cardiothoracic surgery·2009
Same author

Curve-based clustering of time course gene expression data using self-organizing maps.

Journal of bioinformatics and computational biology·2009

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans
07:54

Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: March 15, 2018

11.2K

Breaking Symmetry: The Asymmetries in Epigenetic Inheritance.

Emily Zion1, Xin Chen1

  • 1Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.

The Biochemist
|August 6, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Asymmetric cell division breaks symmetry, allowing identical DNA to create diverse cell identities. This process is crucial for maintaining epigenetic information and influencing cell fate in multicellular organisms.

More Related Videos

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality
08:07

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality

Published on: March 11, 2022

2.5K
Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

487

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans
07:54

Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: March 15, 2018

11.2K
A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality
08:07

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality

Published on: March 11, 2022

2.5K
Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

487

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Multicellular organisms exhibit cell differentiation despite identical DNA content.
  • Epigenetic mechanisms are key to altering gene expression without changing DNA sequence.
  • Inheritance of epigenetic information during cell division is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how epigenetic information is maintained or altered during asymmetric cell division.
  • To understand the role of epigenetic asymmetry in determining distinct cell fates.
  • To discuss current findings and hypotheses on epigenetic inheritance in stem cell division.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies on asymmetric stem cell division.
  • Analysis of epigenetic mechanisms in cell fate determination.
  • Discussion of DNA segregation and epigenetic information transfer.

Main Results:

  • Asymmetric cell division yields one stem cell and one differentiating cell.
  • Epigenetic modifications play a critical role in establishing distinct cell fates.
  • The study highlights the importance of epigenetic inheritance in developmental processes.

Conclusions:

  • Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental mechanism for generating cellular diversity.
  • Epigenetic regulation during division is crucial for maintaining stemness and driving differentiation.
  • Understanding epigenetic inheritance in asymmetric division is vital for developmental biology and regenerative medicine.