BRAINCAKEDetermination of Cell Type
Determination is the process by which a cell becomes committed to developing into a particular type of cell. It happens before the cell shows any visible signs of specialisation. Differentiation comes afterwards, when the cell develops the structures and proteins of its final cell type.
A determined cell may look exactly like the cells around it, but its fate is already fixed. If a determined cell is moved to a different part of the embryo, it still develops into the cell type it was committed to, not the type normally found in its new position.
What determines a cell's fate?
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Key terms in this lesson
- transcription factor
- A protein that binds to DNA near a gene and helps or prevents RNA polymerase binding to the promoter, switching the gene on or off.
More in Gene Expression
- Stem Cells
- Embryonic Stem Cells
- Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
- Adult Stem Cells
- Evidence for Cell Determination
- Development of an Organism
- Epigenetic Control of Development
- Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression
All 39 lessons in Gene Expression · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics