The developmental pattern of C. elegans is said to be mosaic...

The developmental pattern of $C$. elegans is said to be mosaic because (a) development is controlled by gradients of morphogens (b) part of the embryo fails to develop if a founder cell is destroyed (c) some individuals are self fertilizing hermaphrodites (d) all development is controlled by maternal effect genes (e) apoptosis never occurs.

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Key Concepts

Mosaic Development

Mosaic development is a mode of embryogenesis where the fate of each cell is predetermined early in development, often by the allocation of specific cytoplasmic determinants. In such systems, if a particular cell (or group of cells) is lost or damaged, the structures or tissues that would have been derived from those cells do not compensate for the loss, leading to a permanently altered or missing body part.

Cell Lineage Determination

Cell lineage determination refers to the process by which the developmental fate of a cell is established early on, as it divides and differentiates into various specialized tissues. In systems characterized by mosaic development, the specific lineage of each cell is critical and irreversible, so experimental removal or alteration of a 'founder cell' can result in the absence of the corresponding structures normally derived from that cell.

Maternal Effect Genes

Maternal effect genes are those whose products are deposited in the egg during oogenesis, setting the initial conditions for embryonic development. In organisms with mosaic development, these maternal factors play a significant role in establishing the early pattern of development, as they influence the fate of the cells in a cell-autonomous manner, leading to a highly deterministic developmental pattern.

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