Premium
Morphogenesis in the Organism and the Expression of Complex Traits 1
Author(s) -
Bonnett O. T.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1964.0011183x000400050020x
Subject(s) - biology , citation , morphogenesis , library science , computer science , genetics , gene
THE term morphogenesis is used in this paper in its broadest sense to include those developmental events usually grouped under morphogenesis, organogenesis, and histogenesis. This is in accord with the viewpoint expressed by Arber (1) who said that, "In morphology our usage needs to be enlarged again until it can be brought in relation with that of Aristotle, to whom the scope of 'form' was wide enough to cover the whole of the intrinsic nature of which any given individual was a manifestation." This viewpoint places the emphasis upon the whole organism rather than upon its parts. Complex traits are usually considered to be those that are the result of the action of several genes. Morphogenesis is a complex process. It involves the development of the shape and arrangement of the parts of the plant, the time and sequence of development of the parts and the histology of the parts as they develop. In morphogenesis the whole hereditary complex acts as a system to produce the organism. In this sense all inherited characters are polygenie. Characteristics can only be identified when the necessary developmental events that precede them have occurred. The complexity of the organism as it develops is illustrated by some definitions that have been given of an organism. Weiss (12) has stated that "organisms are systems" A system is a natural object that, exists and pre-