The Skeleton: Size Matters; New Role For Master Patterning Genes In Defining Number Of Vertebrae In Spine
Friday, November 6, 2009 - 19:21
in Biology & Nature
It has long been known that the identity of each vertebra is due to the activation of a class of genes called "Hox." Now, researchers in Portugal show that besides determining the identity of the vertebrae, Hox genes also have a say in how many are going to be formed at all.