The anchor cell is a cell in

nematodes The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...

such as ''

Caenorhabditis elegans ''Caenorhabditis elegans'' () is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek ''caeno-'' (recent), ''rhabditis'' (r ...

''. It is important in the

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped *Photographi ...

of the reproductive system, as it is required for the production of the tube of cells that allows

embryo An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm ...

s to pass from the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

through the vulva to the outside of the worm. During the development of ''C. elegans''

hermaphrodites In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have ...

, the anchor cell produces a signalling molecule (LIN-3/

EGF EGF may refer to: * E.G.F., a Gabonese company * East Grand Forks, Minnesota, a city * East Garforth railway station in England * Epidermal growth factor * Equity Group Foundation, a Kenyan charity * European Gendarmerie Force, a military unit of ...

) that induces nearby epidermal cells to develop into the vulva. The anchor cell also produces another signal (the

Notch Notch may refer to: * Notch (engineering), an indentation or slit in a material * Nock (arrow), notch in the rearmost end of an arrow * Markus Persson (born 1979), a Swedish game designer known by his online alias "Notch", best known for creatin ...

ligand LAG-2) that induces adjacent uterine cells to become the π cells, some of which will later connect the uterus to the vulva. The anchor cell next removes the

basement membrane The basement membrane is a thin, pliable sheet-like type of extracellular matrix that provides cell and tissue support and acts as a platform for complex signalling. The basement membrane sits between epithelial tissues including mesothelium and ...

that separates the uterus and vulva and invades, initiating the connection between the uterus and the vulva. Finally the anchor cell fuses with eight of the π cells to form the uterine seam cell.

References

{{reflist

External links

Anchor cell page at Wormbase
– part of the anatomy

ontology In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality. Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities ...

of ''C. elegans''. Nematode anatomy