EEB 184 Key Terms Exam
Study Guide
developmental biology - Answer the study of the process by which animals and plants
grow and develop (continues through to adulthood)
pluripotent - Answer capable of giving rise to several different cell types
undifferentiated - Answer fate of the cell is undetermined; first step of differentiation
pathway
specified - Answer when a cell is capable of independently differentiating along its cell
line when removed from in vivo and placed in a neutral environment; second step of
differentiation pathway
autonomous cell fate specification - Answer the cell differentiates without receiving
external signals; it is committed to a fate early on
conditional cell fate specification - Answer cell fate can be altered depending on the
interactions with neighboring cells/environment
determined - Answer when the cell differentiates autonomously into its fate even when
placed into a different region of the embryo (non-neutral environment); third step of
differentiation pathway
differentiated - Answer the cell has undergone morphological modification to perform its
specialized function; final step of differentiation
transplant - Answer moving cells from one region to another
gastrulation/patterning - Answer process that makes higher order three-dimensional
structures; occurs in first trimester and is critical for downstream development
post-embryonic development - Answer metamorphosis, regeneration, and growth
housekeeping genes - Answer encode proteins with roles in essential processes in all
cells of the body
toolkit genes - Answer encode proteins with roles in the formation and patterning of
body plan and body parts (organismal development)
signaling pathway genes - Answer mediate short and long range interactions between
cells (indirectly control expression)
Study Guide
developmental biology - Answer the study of the process by which animals and plants
grow and develop (continues through to adulthood)
pluripotent - Answer capable of giving rise to several different cell types
undifferentiated - Answer fate of the cell is undetermined; first step of differentiation
pathway
specified - Answer when a cell is capable of independently differentiating along its cell
line when removed from in vivo and placed in a neutral environment; second step of
differentiation pathway
autonomous cell fate specification - Answer the cell differentiates without receiving
external signals; it is committed to a fate early on
conditional cell fate specification - Answer cell fate can be altered depending on the
interactions with neighboring cells/environment
determined - Answer when the cell differentiates autonomously into its fate even when
placed into a different region of the embryo (non-neutral environment); third step of
differentiation pathway
differentiated - Answer the cell has undergone morphological modification to perform its
specialized function; final step of differentiation
transplant - Answer moving cells from one region to another
gastrulation/patterning - Answer process that makes higher order three-dimensional
structures; occurs in first trimester and is critical for downstream development
post-embryonic development - Answer metamorphosis, regeneration, and growth
housekeeping genes - Answer encode proteins with roles in essential processes in all
cells of the body
toolkit genes - Answer encode proteins with roles in the formation and patterning of
body plan and body parts (organismal development)
signaling pathway genes - Answer mediate short and long range interactions between
cells (indirectly control expression)
