Concept 37 Master genes control basic body plans.

Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus at EMBL.

1948 Thanksgiving dinner at the Wieschaus'. Eric Wieschaus is sitting in the chair watching his father baste the turkey.

Eric Wieschaus, five years old.

Eric Wieschaus and Christiane Nusslein-Voldhard in their shared office at EMBL.

Eric Wieschaus accepting his Nobel Prize from the King of Sweden, 1995.

Edward Lewis, 1951.

Scanning electron micrograph of the head a normal Drosophila.

Scanning electron micrograph of the head a Drosophila mutant for the antennapedia gene. The mutation transforms antenna to legs.

Drosophila embryo showing the expression of hairy (yellow), a pair rule gene.

A cuticular preparation of a wild-type Drosophila embryo highlighting the segments and body structure.

A cuticular preparation of a null bicoid mutant. There is a mirror-image formation of the posterior end.

Ectopic expression of the homeotic gene eyeless causes the formation of eye structures on a Drosophila leg.

Eric Wieschaus used his Nobel Prize money to buy the lot next to his house and extend his garden.

How would these "developmental" homeotic genes have developed from single-celled organisms?

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Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus at EMBL.