Positional information and reaction-diffusion: two big ideas in developmental biology combine

Jeremy B. A. Green; James Sharpe

doi:10.1242/dev.114991

journal article Open Access Apr 01, 2015

Positional information and reaction-diffusion: two big ideas in developmental biology combine

Jeremy B. A. Green James Sharpe

Development Vol. 142 No. 7 pp. 1203-1211 · The Company of Biologists

View at Publisher Save 10.1242/dev.114991

Abstract

One of the most fundamental questions in biology is that of biological pattern: how do the structures and shapes of organisms arise? Undoubtedly, the two most influential ideas in this area are those of Alan Turing's ‘reaction-diffusion’ and Lewis Wolpert's ‘positional information’. Much has been written about these two concepts but some confusion still remains, in particular about the relationship between them. Here, we address this relationship and propose a scheme of three distinct ways in which these two ideas work together to shape biological form.

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Details

Published: Apr 01, 2015
Vol/Issue: 142(7)
Pages: 1203-1211
License: View

Authors

J

Jeremy B. A. Green

Department of Craniofacial Development & Stem Cell Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK

J

James Sharpe

EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), UPF, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Passeig Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain

Cite This Article

Jeremy B. A. Green, James Sharpe (2015). Positional information and reaction-diffusion: two big ideas in developmental biology combine. Development, 142(7), 1203-1211. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.114991

Positional information and reaction-diffusion: two big ideas in developmental biology combine

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