Tuesday, April 23rd 2024    |   


Hox Genes

Saturday, March 12, 2011   |   Science
Joe Pearson has been officially cited on Wikipedia (Hox Gene) for a scientific paper he co-authored:
I asked him for a layman's explanation of Hox genes:

"Hox genes are responsible for laying out the body plans of everything from humans to worms, from head to tail. By turning different genes on and off, the proteins encoded by the Hox clusters specify anterior-posterior identity during development. In the model organism Drosophila, mutations in different members of the Hox gene family cause spectacular mutations like four-winged flies, and heads with legs where the antennae should be!"


Well done Joe! Keep up the mad science :)