6.6 Cell Specialization and Development
Embryonic cells become committed to a certain fate (determination), and undergo differentiation, becoming specialized in structure and function for their determined fate. Cells differ in structure and function not because they contain different genomes but because they express different genes.
To Think About:
What are promoter sequences? How does the binding of transcription factors to promoter regions affect gene expression and/or the phenotype of the organism? What is the connection between the regulation of gene expression and phenotypic differences in cells and organisms? How do negative regulatory molecules inhibit gene expression by binding to DNA and blocking transcription? What roles do small RNA molecules have in regulating gene expression?
Watch: AP Daily Video Gene Expression and Cell Specialization
Answer the Following Questions:
- What are promoters and describe their function?
- In the video, what three things are listed necessary for the initiation of transcription?
- What determines an organism’s phenotype? (this is super important to understand, note that is has been mentioned multiple times in the videos!!)
- All cells in an organism have the same ___________, but only certain tissues have the __________________ _______________ that turn on regulatory genes.
- How can small RNA molecules (these are the microRNAs I referred to in class the other day) regulate gene expression? (Give at least two ways)
- STOP and pause the video at 4:50, write the correct answer to the practice question here.
Supplementary Resources:
- Bozeman Science: Mr. Andersen’s “Timing and Coordination”
