What does it mean to say that Drosophila embryos have syncytial specification?
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a
During early development, distinct cells differentiate simultaneously but differently even though separated by plasma membranes.
b
During early development, distinct cells differentiate simultaneously and identically even though separated by plasma membranes.
c
During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm.
d
During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm but are still surrounded by distinctive microenvironments that cause them to develop in distinctive ways.
c
During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm.
The correct answer is c) During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm.
To understand why this is the correct answer, let's break down the question and the options:
The question asks what it means to say that Drosophila embryos have syncytial specification. Syncytial refers to the process in which multiple nuclei are present in a common cytoplasm without being separated by plasma membranes.
Option a) states that distinct cells differentiate simultaneously but differently even though separated by plasma membranes. This option does not align with syncytial specification, as the nuclei in syncytial embryos are not separated by plasma membranes.
Option b) states that distinct cells differentiate simultaneously and identically even though separated by plasma membranes. Similar to option a), this option does not describe syncytial specification.
Option c) states that during early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm. This option correctly describes syncytial specification, as syncytial embryos have many nuclei within a shared cytoplasm, allowing them to be influenced by the same cytoplasmic components.
Option d) states that many nuclei share the same cytoplasm but are still surrounded by distinctive microenvironments that cause them to develop in distinctive ways. This option does not accurately describe syncytial specification, as syncytial embryos do not have distinctive microenvironments for each nucleus.
Therefore, the correct answer is c) During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm.
c
During early development, many nuclei share the same cytoplasm and are therefore influenced by components within the same cytoplasm.