Concept 37 Master genes control basic body plans.
Eric Wieschaus
Eric Wieschaus is a Professor at Princeton University. He shared in the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on Drosophila development.
- Wieschaus' first 'personal' encounter with a fruit fly.
- Wieschaus' first meeting with Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and their early working relationship.
- Generating the mutant fruit flies used in their experiments.
- The results of the large-scale mutagenesis -- how many mutants and how many flies
- The 'magic' number -- how many genes does a fly need for early embryonic development?
- Wieschaus' comments on his friend and collaborator Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.
DNA is packaged in a chromosome.
Higher cells incorporate an ancient chromosome.
Some DNA does not encode protein.
Some DNA can jump.
Genes can be turned on and off.
Genes can be moved between species.
DNA responds to signals from outside the cell.
Different genes are active in different kinds of cells.
Master genes control basic body plans.
Development balances cell growth and death.
A genome is an entire set of genes.
Living things share common genes.
DNA is only the beginning for understanding the human genome.