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Mixing It Up
10 July 2012

Mixing It Up

While many organisms may seem symmetrical, this appearance is often only skin deep. Internal organs such as the heart and liver develop primarily on one side of the body, but how this process unfolds is poorly understood. What is clear though is that a gene called Sox17 is important. Researchers find it plays a vital role in encouraging different cell types to mix – a process that has not yet begun in the 8-day-old mouse embryo pictured. Like boys and girls at a school disco, these specialised cells (red and green) huddle together in separate areas, with one variety (green), concentrated along the middle line and egg sac (thick green band around the edge). But, just as both sexes must eventually mingle, so too must these cells for a well-formed, and asymmetric embryo. And that can’t happen without Sox17 to get the party going.

Written by Jan Piotrowski

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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