Differential behavior of anterior and posterior embryonic chick somitesin Vitro

✍ Scribed by Lash, James W.

• Book ID: 102889792
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1967
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 907 KB
• Volume: 165
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401650104

✦ Synopsis

The posterior somites of young (stages 15-18) chick embryos have a greater chondrogenic potential in tissue culture than do the anterior somites from the same embryo. Approximately 70% of posterior somite clusters will form cartilage nodules in tissue culture, whereas only 1520% of anterior somite clusters form nodules. Paradoxically, when randomized anterior + posterior somites are cultured together, the incidence of cartilage formation is lower than expected. Randomized anterior + posterior somite clusters have the same incidence of cartilage formation as do anterior somites alone.

Somites from either region, if cultured in the presence of embryonic notochord tissue, exhibit 100% cartilage formation.

The chondrogenic potential of the somites may be correlated with their histo-architecture and their embryonic history.