Readings: Chapters 3-4 from “Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
With ideas you encounter in the reading, develop three discussion questions that integrate, explore, and extend what we have learned so far in the course about the mechanisms and principles of development. Access the link to the discussion question submission on the course schedule. If they are well thought out and complete they will earn you part of your credit for the homework assignment that day. We will select a couple of these to discuss in class (without associating names with who submitted them).
Reading Questions--bring your answers to these questions, as you will be responsible for answering one of them in class. You will not turn these answers in.
1. Do different cell types within a single organism have the same DNA? What data would support this idea?
2. What makes our red blood cells, muscle cells, and neurons have different functions from each other? Give specific examples.
3. What is gene logic and what are its two major features? How do they relate to transcription factors?
4. What do Hox genes do during development? Give examples. (Try to identify 3 functions and an example of each).
5. Why do you think the homeodomain (DNA binding domain) of Hox proteins is so conserved (59/60 amino acids) between humans and flies?
6. What type of proteins are eyeless in Drosophila and Aniridia in humans? How do eyeless and Aniridia function?
7. What is the ”tool kit” of animal development? Give examples of tool kit genes.
8. What is a fate map and what does it reveal? What role does the developmental tool kit play in a fate map?