Hox genes are a group of transcription factor genes that exhibit an unusual trait: they provide a glimpse

of one way by which gene expression is translated into the wide range of animal (metazoan) forms
(Myers, 2008). The majority of genes in the genome appear to be distributed randomly, yet when they
are expressed throughout development, they form an apparent plan. In contrast, the Hox genes appear
to be an island of understandable structure. These genes determine the identity of segments, such as
whether a particular embryonic segment will make up the head, abdomen, or thorax. They uually are all
grouped in one orderly location. There is even more proof of order within that cluster.

The Hox genes translate the growth and positioning of an organism's parts early, during embryonic
development. We can comprehend the impacts of Hox genes on humans by observing their effects on
fruitflies, a species of Drosophila. For instance, suppose something goes wrong with the Hox gene
sequence for a fruit fly, and it ends up with two wings; similarly, humans may also be affected and end
up with, say, two thumbs (Roberts, 2008). Fruit flies are relatively easy to produce and have short
lifespans, so we can research how the Hox gene is regulated and what DNA property truly regulates it.

Mice are analogous to humans in the same way as fruit flies are. Even better, since humans and mice are
mammals, the Hox gene's effects on mice can more accurately be translated by scientists to human
beings. Contrary to fruit flies, which only express one Hox gene per segment, mice express many Hox
genes per segment, making it slightly more difficult to comprehend the impacts of Hox genes. For
instance, research on mice pigment cells has shown that pigmentation contributes to the maintenance
of ear canal fluid. Animals lacking pigment also lack ear canal fluid, causing the ear canals to collapse
(Lobo, 2008). This collapse causes the auditory nerves to degenerate, which causes deafness.The Hox
gene has also been studied concerning its function in vertebrae development. According to mice studies,
a combination of Hox genes is necessary for proper development of the first cervical vertebra (Myers,
2008). This discovery led to further tests on mice, which showed that more complex organisms require
multiple Hox genes for their growth to be correct. The Hox genes combine to produce several different
morphological possibilities in organisms.

References

Myers, P. (2008). Hox Genes in Development: The Hox Code. Nature.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/hox-genes-in-development-the-hox-code-41402/

Roberts, A. (2013). Fruit flies: A very distant cousin. The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/18/fruit-flies-embryology-hox-genes

Lobo, I. (2008). Pleiotropy is not polygenic inheritance | Learn Science at Scitable. Nature.
https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/pleiotropy-one-gene-can-affect-multiple-traits-569/