Morphogen
Morphogen
Morphogen (/mɔːrˈfəʊdʒən/; from the Greek morphē meaning shape or form, and -gen meaning producing) is a substance whose non-uniform distribution governs the pattern of tissue development in the process of Morphogenesis or pattern formation.
Etymology
The term "Morphogen" was first coined by Alan Mathison Turing, an English mathematician, in his 1952 paper "The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis". The word is derived from the Greek words morphē meaning shape or form, and -gen meaning producing.
Function
Morphogens are typically proteins or steroid hormones. They diffuse through tissues to create a concentration gradient. Cells respond to this gradient by turning on or off specific genes, leading to the creation of different cell types or tissues.
Examples
Some examples of morphogens include Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), Wingless (Wg), Decapentaplegic (Dpp), and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF). These morphogens play crucial roles in the development of organisms, from the simplest bacteria to complex mammals.
Related Terms
- Morphogenesis: The biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape.
- Pattern formation: The development of a spatial organization of cells into tissues and organs.
- Sonic hedgehog: A protein that is important in vertebrate organogenesis.
- Wingless (protein): A protein involved in the development of the segments in Drosophila melanogaster.
- Decapentaplegic: A protein in Drosophila melanogaster that is similar to the bone morphogenetic proteins.
- Fibroblast growth factor: A family of growth factors involved in angiogenesis, wound healing, and embryonic development.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Morphogen
- Wikipedia's article - Morphogen
This MedicineGPT article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski