Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Biological Big Bang
10 November 2013

Biological Big Bang

Starting from a single point at conception, the human body ends up containing ten times as many cells as there are stars in the Milky Way. This biological ‘Big Bang’ is guided by genes – the codes that are responsible for specific physical traits that make us who we are. When it’s time for a certain type of cell to bloom, protein messengers nudge the right genes into action. One of these messengers, called Yorkie, is instrumental in initiating a wide range of tissue growth. Pictured is a close-up of a fruit fly embryo – the site where a wing will emerge. Without Yorkie, the genes that should be buzzing with activity as this fledgling wing develops are silent (inactivity represented by red areas). While helping to shed light on the intricate processes that mediate tissue growth, understanding Yorkie could have far-reaching consequences due to its role in tumour development.

Written by Jan Piotrowski

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.