cell fate
What cells become
Cell fate is the developmental path a cell will follow—what type of cell it will become.
In biology, a stem cell's fate might be to become a neuron, a muscle cell, or a blood cell.
Cell fate is determined by genetic programming and environmental signals: The researchers tracked cell fate during embryonic development.
Once committed, a cell's fate is usually irreversible.
- differentiationRecognizing meaningful differences
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- commitmentFirm pledge to act
- binary choiceSelection between two alternatives
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- developmental biologymorphogenesis, embryogenesis, gastrulation, organogenesis, ectoderm
- regenerationregeneration, healing, renewal, rebirth, revival
- embryologyembryo, zygote, embryology, blastocyst, embryogenesis
- Developmental GenesHox genes, deformed, labial, caudal, nanos
- nematodesnematode, nematodes, roundworm, roundworms, pinworm
- stem cellsESC, self-renewal, progenitors, progenitor, blastomere
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