2012/07/13 by Eric Werner, Werner, Eric · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Computer Science · #Computational Engineering #Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Finance #Microtubule and mitosis dynamics #Protist diversity and phylogeny #Tissues and Organs (q-bio.TO) #and Science (cs.CE) #cs.CE #q-bio.TO
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1207.3289
29 pages
arxiv created 2012/07/13 · openalex publication_date 2012/07/13 · arxiv updated 2012/07/16 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A computational theory and model of the ontogeny and development of bilateral symmetry in multicellular organisms is presented. Understanding the origin and evolution of bilateral organisms requires an understanding of how bilateral symmetry develops, starting from a single cell. Bilateral symmetric growth of a multicellular organism from a single starter cell is explained as resulting from the opposite handedness and orientation along one axis in two daughter founder cells that are in equivalent developmental control network states. Several methods of establishing the initial orientation of the daughter cells (including oriented cell division and cell signaling) are discussed. The orientation states of the daughter cells are epigenetically inherited by their progeny. This results in mirror development with the two founding daughter cells generating complementary mirror image multicellular morphologies. The end product is a bilateral symmetric organism. The theory gives a unified explanation of diverse phenomena including symmetry breaking, situs inversus, gynandromorphs, inside-out growth, bilaterally symmetric cancers, and the rapid, punctuated evolution of bilaterally symmetric organisms in the Cambrian Explosion. The theory is supported by experimental results on early embryonic development. The theory makes precise testable predications.