Eli5: How do bones and other organs know what shapes to grown into?

Question

Eli5: How do bones and other organs know what shapes to grown into?

In: 3675

Answer 1

Before an embryo develops specialized cells (bone cells, vascular etc.) it’s cells are able to change into different types. Think of it like a person’s musical taste, before it is defined it can be influenced, and it can be on a spectrum.

Pretend our embryo is earth in 1965. The Beatles just released Revolver. As the groovyness of the Beatles radiates from the UK people closer to the UK will be more likely to have a bowl cut.

At the same time The Beach Boys come out with Help Me Rhonda. As the funky tunes of spread from California, people closer will be more likely to become surf bums.

On different places on the globe people will have different combinations of these tastes.

UK 100% bowl cut——‐————————-vascular tissue
California 100% surf bum———‐———-bone tissue
Santiago 30% bowl cut 60% surf bum- cartilage tissue
Etc.

Each person will have a different ratio of these two musical taste. These ratios allow people to be unique in their tastes (like different cell types).

Now add Bob Dylan releasing Rolling Stone from Minnesota and we have added another layer influencing the diversity of musical taste…. leading to more “types”.