|
Teloblast
A teloblast is a large cell in the embryos of clitellate annelids which asymmetrically divide to form many smaller cells known as blast cells. These blast cells further proliferate and differentiate to form the segmentation (biology), segmental tissues of the annelid. Teloblasts are well studied in leeches, though they are also present in the other major class of clitellates: the oligochaetes. Developmental role and morphology All teloblasts are specified from the D quadrant macromere after the second round of divisions post-fertilization. They are larger than the other cells that result from cleavage of macromere D'. There are five pairs of teloblasts, one on each side of the embryo. Four of the teloblasts (N, O, P, and Q) give rise to ectodermal tissue and one pair (M) gives rise to mesodermal tissue. The column of blast cells arising out of each teloblast is known as a bandlet. All five bandlets coalesce into one germinal band on each side of the embryo, extending out f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Segmentation (biology)
Segmentation in biology is the division of some animal and plant body plans into a linear series of repetitive segments that may or may not be interconnected to each other. This article focuses on the segmentation of animal body plans, specifically using the examples of the taxa Arthropoda, Chordata, and Annelida. These three groups form segments by using a "growth zone" to direct and define the segments. While all three have a generally segmented body plan and use a growth zone, they use different mechanisms for generating this patterning. Even within these groups, different organisms have different mechanisms for segmenting the body. Segmentation of the body plan is important for allowing free movement and development of certain body parts. It also allows for regeneration in specific individuals. Definition Segmentation is a difficult process to satisfactorily define. Many taxa (for example the molluscs) have some form of serial repetition in their units but are not conventi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Annelid
The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecologies – some in marine environments as distinct as tidal zones and hydrothermal vents, others in fresh water, and yet others in moist terrestrial environments. The annelids are bilaterally symmetrical, triploblastic, coelomate, invertebrate organisms. They also have parapodia for locomotion. Most textbooks still use the traditional division into polychaetes (almost all marine), oligochaetes (which include earthworms) and leech-like species. Cladistic research since 1997 has radically changed this scheme, viewing leeches as a sub-group of oligochaetes and oligochaetes as a sub-group of polychaetes. In addition, the Pogonophora, Echiura and Sipuncula, previously regarded as separate phyla, are now regarded as sub-grou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Equivalence Group
An equivalence group is a set of unspecified cells that have the same developmental potential or ability to adopt various fates. Our current understanding suggests that equivalence groups are limited to cells of the same ancestry, also known as sibling cells. Often, cells of an equivalence group adopt different fates from one another. Equivalence groups assume various potential fates in two general, non-mutually exclusive ways. One mechanism, induction, occurs when a signal originating from outside of the equivalence group specifies a subset of the naïve cells. Another mode, known as lateral inhibition, arises when a signal within an equivalence group causes one cell to adopt a dominant fate while others in the group are inhibited from doing so. In many examples of equivalence groups, both induction and lateral inhibition are used to define patterns of distinct cell types. Cells of an equivalence group that do not receive a signal adopt a default fate. Alternatively, cells tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clitellate
The Clitellata are a class of annelid worms, characterized by having a clitellum – the 'collar' that forms a reproductive cocoon during part of their life cycles. The clitellates comprise around 8,000 species. Unlike the class of Polychaeta, they do not have parapodia and their heads are less developed. Characteristics Clitellate annelids are segmented worms characterised by the clitellum or girdle which is located near the head end of mature individuals. The mouth is on the ventral surface and is overhung by the prostomium (proboscis). The brain is not located in the head but in one of the body segments. The clitellum is formed by a modification of several segments, and either includes the female gonopores or is located just behind them. During copulation, this glandular tissue secretes mucus that keeps the paired individuals together while they exchange sperm. Afterwards it secretes material that forms a cocoon that encircles the animal's body and encloses the eggs and sperm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organelles
In cell biology, an organelle is a specialized subunit, usually within a cell, that has a specific function. The name ''organelle'' comes from the idea that these structures are parts of cells, as organs are to the body, hence ''organelle,'' the suffix ''-elle'' being a diminutive. Organelles are either separately enclosed within their own lipid bilayers (also called membrane-bounded organelles) or are spatially distinct functional units without a surrounding lipid bilayer (non-membrane bounded organelles). Although most organelles are functional units within cells, some functional units that extend outside of cells are often termed organelles, such as cilia, the flagellum and archaellum, and the trichocyst (these could be referred to as membrane bound in the sense that they are attached to (or bound to) the membrane). Organelles are identified by microscopy, and can also be purified by cell fractionation. There are many types of organelles, particularly in eukaryotic cells. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bone Morphogenic Protein
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of growth factors also known as cytokines and as metabologens. Professor Marshall Urist and Professor Hari Reddi discovered their ability to induce the formation of bone and cartilage, BMPs are now considered to constitute a group of pivotal morphogenetic signals, orchestrating tissue architecture throughout the body. The important functioning of BMP signals in physiology is emphasized by the multitude of roles for dysregulated BMP signalling in pathological processes. Cancerous disease often involves misregulation of the BMP signalling system. Absence of BMP signalling is, for instance, an important factor in the progression of colon cancer, and conversely, overactivation of BMP signalling following reflux-induced esophagitis provokes Barrett's esophagus and is thus instrumental in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Recombinant human BMPs (rhBMPs) are used in orthopedic applications such as spinal fusions, nonunions, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helobdella Austensis
''Helobdella'' is a genus of leeches in the family Glossiphoniidae, the freshwater jawless leeches. They occur worldwide.Kutschera, U., et al. (2013)Description of a new leech species from North America, ''Helobdella austinensis'' n. sp.(Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with observations on its feeding behaviour.''Zoosyst Evol'' 89(2) 239-46. These are small, flat leeches which do not feed on blood.Siddall, M. E. and E. Borda. (2003)Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus ''Helobdella'' (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the ''triserialis'' complex.''Zoologica Scripta'' 32(1), 23-33. Several species in this genus are used as model organisms in the study of developmental biology. It has been difficult to define species in this genus without DNA analysis. Like other leeches in this family, some ''Helobdella'' species are polymorphic, coming in different colors and patterns. On the other hand, some uniformly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asymmetric Cell Division
An asymmetric cell division produces two daughter cells with different cellular fates. This is in contrast to symmetric cell divisions which give rise to daughter cells of equivalent fates. Notably, stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to two distinct daughter cells: one copy of the original stem cell as well as a second daughter programmed to differentiate into a non-stem cell fate. (In times of growth or regeneration, stem cells can also divide symmetrically, to produce two identical copies of the original cell.) In principle, there are two mechanisms by which distinct properties may be conferred on the daughters of a dividing cell. In one, the daughter cells are initially equivalent but a difference is induced by signaling between the cells, from surrounding cells, or from the precursor cell. This mechanism is known as extrinsic asymmetric cell division. In the second mechanism, the prospective daughter cells are inherently different at the time of division of the mot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helobdella
''Helobdella'' is a genus of leeches in the family Glossiphoniidae, the freshwater jawless leeches. They occur worldwide.Kutschera, U., et al. (2013)Description of a new leech species from North America, ''Helobdella austinensis'' n. sp.(Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with observations on its feeding behaviour.''Zoosyst Evol'' 89(2) 239-46. These are small, flat leeches which do not feed on blood.Siddall, M. E. and E. Borda. (2003)Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus ''Helobdella'' (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the ''triserialis'' complex.''Zoologica Scripta'' 32(1), 23-33. Several species in this genus are used as model organisms in the study of developmental biology. It has been difficult to define species in this genus without DNA analysis. Like other leeches in this family, some ''Helobdella'' species are polymorphic, coming in different colors and patterns. On the other hand, some uniformly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pluripotent
Cell potency is a cell's ability to differentiate into other cell types. The more cell types a cell can differentiate into, the greater its potency. Potency is also described as the gene activation potential within a cell, which like a continuum, begins with totipotency to designate a cell with the most differentiation potential, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency, and finally unipotency. Totipotency Totipotency () is the ability of a single cell to divide and produce all of the differentiated cells in an organism. Spores and zygotes are examples of totipotent cells. In the spectrum of cell potency, totipotency represents the cell with the greatest differentiation potential, being able to differentiate into any embryonic cell, as well as any extraembryonic tissue cell. In contrast, pluripotent cells can only differentiate into embryonic cells. A fully differentiated cell can return to a state of totipotency. The conversion to totipotency is complex and not fully ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tubifex Hattai
''Tubifex'' is a cosmopolitan genus of tubificid annelids that inhabits the sediments of lakes, rivers and occasionally sewer lines. At least 13 species of ''Tubifex'' have been identified, with the exact number not certain, as the species are not easily distinguishable from each other. Reproduction ''Tubifex'' worms are hermaphroditic: each individual has both male (testes) and female (ovaries) organs in the same animal. These minute reproductive organs are attached to the ventral side of the body wall in the celomic cavity. In mature specimens, the reproductive organs are clearly found on the ventral side of the body. Copulation and cocoon formation Although the ''Tubifex'' worms are hermaphrodites, the male and female organs become mature at different times; thus self-fertilization is avoided, and cross-fertilization is encouraged. Two mature ''Tubifex'' worms undergo copulation by joining ventral and anterior surfaces together with their anterior ends pointing opposite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helobdella Triserialis
''Helobdella'' is a genus of leeches in the family Glossiphoniidae, the freshwater jawless leeches. They occur worldwide.Kutschera, U., et al. (2013)Description of a new leech species from North America, ''Helobdella austinensis'' n. sp.(Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with observations on its feeding behaviour.''Zoosyst Evol'' 89(2) 239-46. These are small, flat leeches which do not feed on blood.Siddall, M. E. and E. Borda. (2003)Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus ''Helobdella'' (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the ''triserialis'' complex.''Zoologica Scripta'' 32(1), 23-33. Several species in this genus are used as model organisms in the study of developmental biology. It has been difficult to define species in this genus without DNA analysis. Like other leeches in this family, some ''Helobdella'' species are polymorphic, coming in different colors and patterns. On the other hand, some uniformly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
