Determinative molecules can refer to cytoplasmic determinants, which are molecules that affect cell fate, or inductive signals, which are molecules that change the fate of other cells.
These molecules are present in the cytoplasm of an unfertilized egg or zygote
They are usually maternal mRNAs and proteins
They are distributed unevenly throughout the zygote
Each blastomere has a different collection of cytoplasmic determinants
These determinants affect gene expression and impact the development of the embryo's organs
