A single set of master genes dictates the body plan of every animal
A highly conserved cluster of Hox genes serves as a universal biological architect, directing the embryonic development and body segment arrangement of every animal from flies to humans.
Every animal on Earth, from the simplest worm to the most complex mammal, relies on a core set of roughly 6,331 gene families inherited from a common ancestor 650 million years ago. Among these, Hox genes act as master regulators, determining where limbs, wings, and organs grow along the body's head-to-tail axis. In fruit flies, a gene called Ultrabithorax ensures only one pair of wings develops; when mutated, it can produce a fly with four wings by misidentifying a body segment.
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