Cleavage and early development

15 important questions on Cleavage and early development

What is the animal-vegetal axis in an embryo?

This is an axis visible before cleavage begins. It exists, because yolk in the embryo only occurs on one end establishing polarity in the embryo. It also serves as a reference point on the embryo.

What is the yolk-rich end of an embryo called?

This is called the vegetal pole.

What is the cytoplasm rich end of an embryo called?

This is called the animal pole.
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What is a cleavage furrow?

A furrow that is visible between cells after each division. It can be parallel or perpenticular to the animal-vegetal axis.

What are eggs with an abundance of yolk densely concentrated at the vegetal pole of the egg called?

These are called telolethical eggs

What are eggs with a large centrally located mass of yolk called?

These eggs are called centrolecithal eggs

What are the four different types of eggs?

  1. Isolecithal
  2. Mesolecithal
  3. Telolecithal
  4. Centrolecithal

Which of the four type of eggs has the least difficulty forming cleavage furrows?

Isolecithal eggs have the least amount of yolk so they will have the easiest time making cleavage furrows.

What kind of cleavage occurs when much yolk is present and what are its characteristics?

The cleavage that occurs is meroblastic, this cleavage is incomplete because the cleavage furrows cannot cut through the dense yolk but stop at border between cytoplasm and yolk. This results in cells sitting atop a mass of undivided yolk.

What kind of cleavage occurs when there is little yolk present and what are it's characteristics?

This kind of cleavage is called holoblastic cleavage and cuts completely through the egg.

Which of the two kind of cleavages occurs in isolecithal and mesolecithal eggs?

In these eggs holoblastic cleavage occurs

Which of the two kind of cleavages occurs in telolecithal and centrolecithal eggs?

In these eggs meroblastic cleavage occurs

What are the 4 four terms used to discuss the angle and direction of the cleavage furrows?

  1. Radial
  2. Spiral
  3. Discoidal
  4. Rotational

What kind of cleavage is restricted to the cytoplasmic rim of the egg and what are its characteristics?

This is called superficial cleavage, this is an unusal pattern as it requieres nuclear division before cytoplasmic cleavage

What is meant with indirect development?

When an embryo contains little yolk and the organism emerges as a larve and is capable of feeding itself

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