Organisers & GenesConrad Hal Waddington's Organisers and Genes, published in 1940, is a summary of available research and theoretical framework for many concepts related to tissue differentiation in the developing embryo. The book is composed of two main conceptual sections. The first section explores the action and nature of the organizer, while the second section delves into genes and their influence on development. In this book Waddington explored organizers in terms of their capacity and method of induction. First he examined the nature of induction, discussing crucial experiments concerning the organizer, including Hans Spemann's discovery of the organizer, and his own research into organizers in higher birds and mammals. Waddington separated the action of the organizer into two distinct categories, evocation and individuation, discussed below. The main experimental approach discussed in this book involved grafting organizing tissue from one embryo or region of an embryo to another. Waddington described evocation as non-assimilative induction, or a one-way inducing signal. He presented this as a chemical signal and illustrated evocation with the dead organizer experiment. The dead organizer was shown to be capable of inducing differentiation of neural tissue in the ectoderm. He also included chemical induction by estrogens and steroids as other evocative signals. An important aspect of any signal of evocation, as presented by Waddington, is that the signal is specific to the differentiation of a certain tissue type. |
Contents
THE CAUSAL ANALYSIS OF DEVELOP | 1 |
THE ANALYSIS OF ORGANISER | 14 |
EVOCATION | 20 |
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Common terms and phrases
action activity actually alternatives amphibian animal arista aristopedia Bautzmann biological blastoderm blastopore Brachet causal cause cells chemical chick competence concept consider cytolysis definite determination developmental track differentiation diffusion discussion dorsal dose-effect curve Drosophila ectoderm elongation embryo embryological embryology endoderm epidermis Epigenetic Landscape evidence evocator substance evocatory example fact fibres field formation gastrula gene effects genes genetic control genotype glycogen graft growth rate Hensen's node Holtfreter host hypothesis implanted individuation induced neural instance interaction invagination investigation involved isolated later lens localised material mechanism mesoderm metabolism methylene blue mosaic mutant nature Needham neural plate neural tissue neural tube normal allelomorph normal evocator notochord occurs organ organiser region pattern phenomena pigment possible posterior presumptive primitive streak probably processes produced properties protein quantity relation sequence shape shown similar specific Spemann stage stimulus structures suggested tarsus-like time-effect curves veins ventral Waddington whole wing