Vertebrate Embryology Concepts Quiz

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What is the approximate number of eggs laid by a Rana pipiens female in early spring?

65,000

6,500 (correct)

650,000

650

What two key processes are accomplished by fertilization?

Cellular differentiation and specialization

Genetic recombination and reproduction (correct)

Haploid cell production and zygote formation

Mitosis and meiosis

What critical event is triggered by sperm entry in the newly fertilized egg?

Cytoplasmic migration (correct)

DNA replication

Formation of the cell membrane

The release of stored yolk

During cleavage in frog zygotes, what happens to the cell volume and number of cells?

Cell volume remains the same, cell number increases (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the formation of the blastopore mark on the embryo?

The future dorsal side of the embryo (D) Signup and view all the answers

What germ layer covers the exterior of the embryo after gastrulation?

Ectoderm (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the notochord during vertebrate organogenesis?

To produce chemical signals that direct the fate of nearby cells (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the embryonic stage characterized by the folding and formation of the neural tube?

Neurula (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of autonomous specification in embryogenesis?

Cell fate is predetermined by morphogenetic determinants within the cell. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes mosaic development?

An embryo is formed from independent, self-differentiating parts. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a critical feature of conditional specification?

Cell fate relies on interactions with neighboring cells. (C) Signup and view all the answers

If a blastomere is removed from an early embryo using conditional specification, what is the typical outcome?

The remaining cells will compensate for the missing cells by changing their fates. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is characteristic of regulative development?

Embryonic cells can adjust their fate to compensate for missing parts. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Vertebrate embryos are most likely to use which kind of specification?

Conditional specification (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a syncytium in the context of cell specification?

A cytoplasm containing many nuclei (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following specification types utilizes elements of both autonomous and conditional specification?

Syncytial specification (C) Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the phenomenon where an organism exhibits different physical traits based on environmental conditions?

Phenotypic plasticity (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was August Weismann's key observation regarding butterflies that led to the study of larval adaptations?

Butterflies hatched during different seasons had different colorations (A) Signup and view all the answers

The European map butterfly, Araschnia levana, has two seasonal morphs. What are the distinct colorations observed?

One morph is mostly orange with black patterns, and the other is mostly black with a white band. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is cell 'differentiation' in the context of embryological development?

The process where cells commit to specific biochemical and functional roles (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided content, what is 'specification' in cell commitment?

The reversible commitment where a cell can autonomously differentiate in a neutral environment (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of cell commitment, what does 'determination' mean?

The irreversible commitment where a cell can differentiate autonomously even when moved to another region in the embryo (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of 'autonomous specification'?

Isolated cells develop according the same fate as they would in an embryo (C) Signup and view all the answers

If a trochoblast cell is isolated from a 16 cell stage snail embryo and cultured in vitro, what will be observed?

It will still differentiate into a ciliated cell, as it would have in the embryo (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the focus of developmental mechanics regarding forces within the embryo?

How the embryo's cells differentiate due to forces inside the embryo. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of alligator sex determination, what is the critical environmental factor?

The temperature of the egg during a certain period of incubation. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary distinction in sex determination between alligators and Bonellia viridis?

Alligator sex is determined by temperature, while Bonellia sex is determined by larval location. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided text, what is the temperature range that predominantly produces female alligators?

30°C or below. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the male Bonellia worm larvae?

It lives inside the female. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which factor determines whether a Bonellia viridis larva becomes male or female?

Where the larva settles. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What discovery did Baltzer make regarding Bonellia viridis?

That the sex of Bonellia was determined by where the larva settles. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What do the experiments with alligators, crocodiles, and Bonellia worms demonstrate about embryonic development?

Embryonic development can be significantly influenced by environmental factors. (D) Signup and view all the answers

When epidermal and mesodermal cells are combined in an aggregate, what is their typical arrangement?

Epidermal cells move to the periphery, while mesodermal cells move to the inside. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did research on reaggregated embryonic amphibian cells reveal about their final positions?

Their final positions reflect their embryonic positions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of selective affinities during development?

They change over time as needed for development. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the core focus of genetics, according to the redefinition by Morgan?

The study of the transmission of traits from one generation to another. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What has been the effect of molecular biology techniques on the fields of embryology and genetics?

It has caused a rapprochement, bridging the gap between the fields. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was the original description of genes given by Mendel?

They are the form-building elements that shape organisms. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the central question that the study of developmental biology attempts to answer?

How a fertilized egg develops into an adult organism. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by 'selective affinities' in the context of embryonic development?

The specific physical interactions between different cell types. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the central concept of genomic equivalence?

All cells in an organism possess the same, complete set of genetic information. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is metaplasia?

The transformation of one cell type into another within a tissue. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What key capability was demonstrated by the study of salamander eye regeneration, that lead to the concept of genomic equivalence?

The ability of adult differentiated cells to give rise to other cell types. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the melanosomes in the iris cells during Wolffian regeneration?

They are expelled from the cells and ingested by macrophages. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the initial step in Wolffian regeneration, following the removal of the lens?

The iris cells begin to dedifferentiate by getting rid of melanosomes. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What specific process is initiated in the iris cell nuclei during the initial phase of lens regeneration?

Intense synthesis of ribosomes and DNA replication (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of crystallin proteins during the regeneration of the lens?

They are the main building blocks of the newly formed lens. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How do the regenerated lens cells relate to the normal developmental process of lens formation?

They form crystallin proteins in the same sequence as during normal lens development. (A) Signup and view all the answers