morfogének

Morfogének are hypothetical chemical substances or fields that are proposed to carry information about the form and structure of developing organisms. The concept originated in the field of developmental biology, particularly with the work of Conrad Waddington in the mid-20th century. Waddington suggested that a "chastă" or a system of genes and their interactions, works in conjunction with a "morfogén" to guide the process of morphogenesis, which is the biological process that causes an organism to develop its shape.

The idea is that morphogénetic fields, rather than individual genes acting in isolation, are responsible for establishing the overall pattern and organization of a developing embryo. These fields are thought to operate at a higher level of organization, influencing cell behavior and differentiation to achieve a specific form. While the concept of morphogénetic fields is not a mainstream theory in contemporary molecular biology, it has influenced thinking about developmental processes and the integration of genetic information. Modern understanding often explains pattern formation through complex interactions of signaling molecules, gene regulatory networks, and biophysical forces, which can be seen as the underlying mechanisms that might have been conceptually represented by the idea of morphogénetic fields. The term "morfogének" itself is not widely used in current scientific literature, with researchers preferring to describe specific molecular pathways and mechanisms.