ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Spatiotemporal gene expression

Genes are like instruction manuals for the cells in our bodies. When cells need to do something specific, they use the instructions in specific genes to carry out that task. However, not all cells need to do the same things at the same time. For example, the cells in your eye need to be able to see, while the cells in your heart need to beat. This is where spatiotemporal gene expression comes in.

"Spatio" means space or location, and "temporal" means time. Spatiotemporal gene expression refers to how genes are turned on or off in different locations and at different times in the body. Different cells have different jobs, so they need different genes turned on or off at different times. For example, when you are still growing in your mother's womb, certain genes need to be turned on at specific times to make sure your arms and legs grow properly.

This process is like a concert where different instruments play at different times and in different parts of the song. Each instrument is important, but they don't all play at the same time. In the same way, genes are turned on and off at different times and places in the body, like a carefully choreographed dance.

Scientists study spatiotemporal gene expression in order to understand how different cells in the body work together to make us who we are. By understanding how genes are turned on and off in different places and times, we can learn more about how our bodies develop and how they stay healthy.