vulval cell fate determination
vulval cell fate determination
The process in which a cell becomes capable of differentiating autonomously into a nematode vulval cell regardless of its environment; upon determination, the cell fate cannot be reversed. In nematodes, the vulva is formed from ventral epidermal cells during larval stages to give rise to a fully formed adult vulva, which is the egg-laying organ of female and hermaphrodite nematodes.