Suppose that during the embryonic development of a hand, homeotic gene expression is altered such that the dorsal-ventral axis is switched. What is the most likely outcome of this scenario?
A) The palm and back of the hand will be switched.
B) The pinky and thumb would be switched.
C) The shoulder and hand would be switched.
D) The foot and hand would be switched.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dorsal-ventral axis determines the top-bottom orientation of the hand. If it is switched, the palm and back of the hand would also switch positions. This would likely result in functional impairment of the hand, as the palm is adapted for grasping while the back of the hand is more suited for protection and support. The other options, such as switching the pinky and thumb or the foot and hand, are not directly related to the dorsal-ventral axis and would not result from this specific gene expression alteration.

Suppose That During the Embryonic Development of a Hand, Homeotic