Model of Morphogenesis

Abstract

We build a theoretical model of morphogenesis. This model describes cell fate in the developing organism using the notion of epigenetic code of each cell. Namely, given the epigenetic spectra of a cell and its neighboring cells, we can determine the corresponding cell event it will perform. This means that the properties of a group of cells (comprising an embryo or its part) at any time point are also known, and thus, the evolution of an embryo can be described. By this strategy, it is possible to establish the tissue, organ, or embryo shapes at any time, starting from a zygote. As an essential part of the model, the formalization of the notion of cell potency is introduced, and the related properties are discussed.

Keywords: modeling; morphogenesis; signaling.