Fig. 2

a The feedback function f _D (D) from differentiated cells on the transitions of neoblasts (Fig. 1 c) falls from 1.0 as the number of differentiated cells (here represented as the fraction of the steady state value) increases. b The feedback control from neoblasts to asymmetric differentiation (Fig. 1 b) increases towards 1.0 as the number of neoblasts (here represented as the fraction of the steady state value) increases. c The feedback functions a _i (N,D,Q) depend, for a model with three kinds of differentiated cells, on five variables. Here we show a cross-section of those functions by holding the number of neoblasts and differentiated cells constant and only varying the resource level. d Similarly, the resource dependent rate of mortality of differentiated cells depends on the number of neoblasts and differentiated cells through their metabolic requirements; here we show a cross-section holding those cell numbers constant and varying resource levels. The x-axis intentionally has no units since these images are intended to be schematic rather than accurate representations. Full details are in the Section “Methods”