Essays on Retinoic Acid

The chicken limb (wings) develops and buds out from the lateral plate mesoderm at typical locations along the sides of the embryo. These limbs grow with regional specification that includes distinct anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral pattern. The limb buds out because of the interaction between the mesenchyme and apical ectodermal ridge (AER). The signals sent from the AER maintain the progress zone in the mesenchymal layer. The progress zone has cell in highly proliferative and undifferentiated state. This knowledge can be used to produce higher number of chicken wings from fewer chickens.

There are certain compounds that are known to ...

There are multiple forms of vitamin A and each form has a specific function. Vitamin A is retinol, once it undergoes oxidation it becomes retinaldehyde and retinoic acid, which are also biologically active compounds. Retinaldehyde is essential for normal vision, while retinoic acid is important for morphogenesis and growth. Retinol plays a role if reproduction, iron utilization, and immunity (Harrison’s, 2008, p.446). One person did not discover Vitamin A; its discovery was spread out over a long period of time. The earliest research began in 1816 with experiments in malnutrition on dogs. Later, in the late 19th century, it was ...

Vitamins are essential organic nutrients required in minute amounts for the body's optimal functioning. They could be water soluble or fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins include; vitamins Band C, while the fat soluble vitamins are; Vitamins A, D,E,K. Vitamin A was the first fat soluble Vitamin to be discovered in 1913.

Vitamin A's structure is depicted to the right. Retinol is the precursor of of retinal and retinoic acid. Both are active metabolites of retinol. Retinal plays an important role in vision while retinoic acid is the intracellular messenger which affects the transcription of some gene( Bates ...