pattern formation

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pattern formation (patterning) The establishment of basic body symmetries and repetition of parts during development. In animal embryos, for example, pattern formation defines the body axes, the number and polarity of body segments, and other basic reference points to produce the framework in which tissues and organs can develop in the correct place and orientation. The process is controlled by the interaction of numerous morphogens encoded by maternal and embryonic genes whose expression is intricately coordinated.