Cell lineage

A cell lineage is the sequence of ancestor–descendant relationships among cells produced through cell division. It records how cells in an organism descend from earlier cells during development.

Cell division: The process by which one cell separates into two or more daughter cells. Each division adds a parent–daughter link to a lineage.
Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. A lineage is built from individual cells and their divisions.
Lineage tracing: A set of methods for identifying the descendants of a chosen cell or cell population. It reconstructs lineage relationships by marking cells and following their progeny.
Caenorhabditis elegans: A small nematode widely used as a model organism in genetics and developmental biology. Its nearly invariant embryonic cell divisions enabled a complete lineage map.
Cell state: The measurable molecular and functional condition of a cell at a particular time. A cell's current state describes it now, while lineage describes its ancestry.
Cell differentiation: The process by which a cell acquires specialized structures and functions. A lineage records when descendants acquire distinct cell identities.
Cell cycle: The ordered series of events through which a cell grows, copies its DNA, and divides. The cell cycle supplies the recurring process that produces lineage descendants.
Fate mapping: The identification of the future destinations or identities of cells in a developing organism. It connects cells at an earlier stage with the tissues their descendants form.
Sulston lineage: The documented cell-division lineage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. John Sulston and colleagues traced its embryonic cells through development.
Cell potency: The range of cell types a cell can produce under suitable conditions. Potency concerns possible descendants; lineage concerns the descendants actually produced.

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