"Juan Pedro"  wrote in message
> If at the early divisions of a human embryo, the zygote i mean, the
> final destiny of the forming cells is determined by gradients of
> proteins and mRNA in the egg's cytoplasm deposited there before
> fecundation took place, how is it that after a few divisions -let's
> say at eight cells stage- every individual cell still has the power if
> separated of the rest to form a full embyo. The concentrations of the
> above mentioned proteins and mRNA should be different in each cell,
> yet they are totipotent why is it that? Could someone be some kind to
> explain that to me, please? I'll appreciate. (sorry for my awful
> english)
>
We don't really understand why some cells are totipotent whilst others are
not. Since 8-cell human embryos can be divided into viable identical twins/
Ntpulets, obviously the presence of the other cells, and not merely an
internal chenical state, is having some effect.
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