CELL POLARITY IN EARLY C-ELEGANS DEVELOPMENT

The polarization of the embryonic axes is a key event in embryogenesis , being one of the earliest manifestations of the shape and form of th e organism. The acquisition of polarity by individual blastomeres is o ne of the earliest indicators of commitment to a particular pathway of differentiation. These phenomena have been studied in the development of C. elegans both at the cellular and organismal level. This review summarizes what is known about how polarity is established in the blas tomeres of this organism, how the division axes of polarized cells are determined, and how the embryonic axes are set up.