Question

Experiments have shown that any nuclei placed in the polar cytoplasm at the posterior pole of the Drosophila egg will differentiate into germ cells. If polar cytoplasm is transplanted into the anterior end of the egg just after fertilization, what will happen to nuclei that migrate into this cytoplasm at the anterior pole?

Short answer

Answer: If polar cytoplasm is transplanted into the anterior end of the Drosophila egg just after fertilization, nuclei migrating into this cytoplasm at the anterior pole would be expected to differentiate into germ cells, similar to the process that naturally occurs at the posterior pole.

Step-by-step solution

Background information

Drosophila is a fruit fly species widely used as a model organism for studying genetic processes and embryonic development. In the experiment, we know that nuclei placed in the polar cytoplasm at the posterior pole will differentiate into germ cells.

Transplanting polar cytoplasm

The exercise asks us to determine the outcome of transplanting polar cytoplasm (involved in germ cell formation) into the anterior end of the egg just after fertilization.

Predicting the effects

Since the polar cytoplasm from the posterior pole is responsible for the differentiation of germ cells, when it is transplanted to the anterior end, nuclei that migrate into this transplanted cytoplasm would likely differentiate into germ cells as well. This is because the environment and conditions provided by the polar cytoplasm in the anterior pole should still be suitable for germ cell formation, even if the location within the egg is different.

Conclusion

If polar cytoplasm is transplanted into the anterior end of the Drosophila egg just after fertilization, nuclei migrating into this cytoplasm at the anterior pole would be expected to differentiate into germ cells, similar to the process that naturally occurs at the posterior pole.